Judge raises concern over domestic violence deaths

HELA’S resident judge Justice Martin Ipang has expressed concern about deaths resulting from domestic violence.
When sentencing Evelyn Muli last Tuesday to nine years’ imprisonment at the Buiebi jail in Mendi for the manslaughter of her husband, Ipang said such offences were becoming common in the province.
He also found another two women and a man guilty of similar charges.
Ipang found Muli, of Warolo village in the Tari-Pori district, guilty of manslaughter.
After going through an autopsy report, Ipang ruled that Muli attacked her husband on the abdomen with a wheel spanner that ruptured the spleen, resulting in his death.
Muli had retaliated after the husband had assaulted her for two consecutive days, resulting in injuries. She was pregnant at the time.
The incident happened at Kupari village in Tari in November 2014 where the couple had an argument.
The husband had suspected that his wife was seeing another man.
Ipang also handed down decisions on three other similar cases of domestic violence in which two women and a man were convicted of manslaughter for the deaths of their partners during disputes.
“After considering submissions from both defence and State counsels on the cases, I take note of the fact that unlawful killing in domestic settings is most common in this part of the country,” Ipang said.
“I consider a sentence with deterrent effect will be most appropriate to prevent more of such violence from ahppening between married couples in Hela.”