Hefty fine, jail for abusers

By REBECCA KUKU
PEOPLE committing violence against children will be fined up to K5,000 or jailed up to two years or both under the Lukautim Pikinini Act, says Community Development, Youth and Religion Minister Wake Goi.
He made the statement following reports of recent child abuses in Port Moresby.
Three children were beaten and locked up in the cell two weeks ago at Boroko and last week, four children were stripped, beaten and poured paint on after they were allegedly caught doing graffiti.
And recently at Gordon bus station, a grade eight student in school uniform was allegedly beaten by police officers.
Samuel Kolas, 18, a grade 8 student at the Wardstrip Primary School, was allegedly beaten by three policemen while he was waiting for a bus.
Goi said that these reports spoke volumes of negligence, abuse and violence perpetrated against children.
“We have come to notice that child abuse is still prevalent in the society,” he said.
“We are calling for the arrest of perpetrators immediately.”
Secretary Anna Solomon supported Goi’s call for immediate arrest, saying that perpetrators should face the full brunt of the law.
Under the Lukautim Pikinini Act section 78, for all forms of violence other than sexual violence the penalty is K5,000 fine or imprisonment not exceeding two years or both,” she said. “The perpetrators must be arrested and charged under the Lukautim Pikinini Act.”
Meanwhile, abuse has continued as Facebook users continued to share and ridicule pictures of children been abused.
Minister for Communications and Energy Rainbo Paita and National Information and Communication Technology Authority chief executive Charles Punaha could not be contacted for comments on the legality of posting pictures of children being abused on social media.