Judge: Law changes to protect children

A NATIONAL Court judge said the amendments to most of the sexual offences in the Criminal Code are aimed at protecting children against sexual exploitation and abuse.
Kokopo residential judge Justice Salatiel Lenalia highlighted this recently when sentencing an East New Britain man to 12 years in jail for sexually penetrating an under-aged girl.
He said the people of Papua New Guinea had decided through their elected leaders in parliament to change the law and express their abhorrence against this sort of conduct.
Prisoner Eddie Ila had pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual penetration, however, the court found him guilty early this month on the charge of sexual penetration on the victim who was 13 years old at the time the incident occurred in 2008.
For the prosecution, counsel Lukara Rangan made submission on the sentencing trend on sexual offences particularly where an offence, as was in this case where the age of the victim was less than 16 years.
He submitted that sexual offences in ENB were very high and to deter this offence, courts had to impose sentences that would operate as deterrent to offenders and would-be offenders.
On the mitigations, the counsel submitted to the court to consider the prisoner’s good character, the fact that the victim did not suffer any serious injuries and no weapon was used.
Lenalia after weighing out both the mitigations and aggravations sentenced Ila to 12 years in prison.
The court suspended three years from that sentence after Ila served the balance while in custody awaiting his trial.