Girl, believed to be kept as sex slave, rescued by police

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
POLICE have rescued an underage girl from a man who, according to her father, had been keeping her as a sex slave at his village since July.
Acting southern region police commander Chief Supt Rigga Neggi said the father, who twice had managed to bring her back home, had to ask police for assistance when the man took her back to his village in Alotau district in Milne Bay last Saturday.
“The father sought police assistance after rescuing his 13-year-old daughter twice from the man at Keai village in the Maramatana local level government, Alotau district,” he said.
Supt Neggi said the man first took the 13-year-old girl to his village on July 14. The father managed to track her down and brought her back home. Then on Aug 14, the man managed to lure her away again to his village. The father brought her back home.
Then again last Saturday, Aug 28, the man again took the girl back to the village.
Supt Neggie said the father was fed up with what was going on and reported the matter to the police.
“He decided to seek police assistance to deal with the suspect once and for all because he wants his daughter who is in school to continue her education,” he said.
Neggi said the father, from Ijivitari district in Northern, had married the girl’s mother from Bubuleta village in Alotau. He continued to live there after she died.
He said the girl was now back home and police were looking for the man who had fled from the village.