Girl faces scrutiny in sex case

By Alice Osii
A MAGISTRATE has directed police to investigate why a girl has decided to withdraw a complaint of sexual abuse and penetration made against her father and foster mother.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Cosmas Bidar said the young girl has written to the court saying she had made up the story of the sexual abuse.
The father was facing two counts of sexual abuse and two counts of sexual penetration while the foster mother faced two counts of sexual abuse.
The names of the father and foster mother were mentioned in court but have been withheld to protect the girl’s identity.
Magistrate Bidar wanted to know why the girl decided to withdraw the case before he made his ruling known. “You can’t simply make up a story and on the eleventh hour you change your mind,” Magistrate Bidar said.
“The court’s consent against the allegations in relation to the defendants is that: Why wait until the 11th hour to ask that the case be withdrawn?”
He said the court has already made a ruling on the matter before receiving the girl’s letter. The letter stated that she had made up the story because her father had failed to meet her basic and school needs.
Magistrate Bidar warned that the girl could end up in more trouble.
“If indeed she made up all the story and gave the story to the court, her testimony under oath is a false testimony,” Bidar said.
“If it is in fact the victim who made up all the story against her father and her foster mother, then that’s perjury. She should be charged for perjury or fabricating evidence.”
He said giving false testimony to the court was a criminal offence.
He extended their bail and adjourned the matter to Oct 30 for police to investigate “why an eleventh hour letter was written to the court asking for the dismissal of the case”.
“This matter needs to be investigated,” Bidar said.