Husband in custody after wife tortured

By MARJORIE FINKEO
A MAN has been arrested and is to be charged for allegedly torturing his wife, burning her body, cutting her with a knife and using objects to damage her private parts in Wahgi Valley, Jiwaka, police say.
The woman was allegedly locked in the family home and tortured for two weeks and villagers watched her but no one helped her, provincial commander Chief Inspector Horim Piamia said.
Piamia said the accused had allegedly mistreated her for many years and under the circumstances “society there believed that such family problems shouldn’t be reported to the police. She suffered so much until we received a report from sources to rescue her and arrest the husband,” he said.
The accused is aged between 30 and 40 and the couple have two sons. He is in police custody waiting for his charges.
“The wife is currently under medical treatment at Kudjip General Hospital but has become paralysed already, cannot walk properly,” Piamia said.
He said the victim had travelled to Port Moresby to make a visit and the husband reported that to police, followed her and took her back home.
“We kept the woman in police custody for her safety knowing that she will be beaten up by the husband. The next day he came with his relatives and promised us that he won’t hit his wife and wanted them to go home,” Piamia said.
He took the wife home and tortured her for two weeks.
The woman was taken out from her home and got help from a gender-based violence (GBV) women’s group with the police.