Get tougher on child sex crimes: Barker

National

By Rebecca Kuku
INSTITUTE of National Affairs director and human rights advocate Paul Barker has called for severe penalties for sexual violence against children.
Barker made the call came following reports in main stream media and social media of the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in New Ireland and a three year old girl in Eastern Highland last week.
He said that the level of violence against children across the country was far too high and should be socially unacceptable and feature strongly under the criminal code.
He said that the recent cases reported were particularly shocking and disgraceful, occurring even in the relatively peaceful provincial capital of New Ireland, Kavieng.
“Such violence is not unique to PNG, but from surveys undertaken across the community, the level of such sexual violence is extremely prevalent in PNG, particularly in some communities.
“Any family and sexual violence against children is appalling, and the penalties need to be severe, especially in the case of incest, rape and murder of innocent children,” Barker said.
“Therefore, the penalty imposed in law and the courts must be severe and the perpetrator must be removed from free society, to help protect other women and children from the risk of abuse, or worse, and also in respect for the victim,” he said.
Barker said that men and women community leaders also needed to be in the forefront in exposing and challenging this issue, including any reticence to expose and penalise perpetrators, but they need to set the best example.
“People have to be willing to report and immediately hand in even their own wantoks and leaders, whether relations, pastors or political leaders, when cases of violence or sexual abuse occur, including incest, notably with children, and killings.”