Justice sought for daughter’s rape

By JAMES GUMUNO
THE father of a grade 9 girl raped by a church member, with the help of another, who were both set free by Baiyer policemen in a mediation, has refused compensation and wants the two suspects to face the law.
The father, from the Mul-Baiyer district, said he would not accept any compensation.
He said that his daughter was 15-years old and was attending secondary school. He said what two members of the church did to her on Nov 4 in their house was wrong and destroyed his reputation as a leader in the community and province.
He said that when the two suspects were surrendered to Baiyer police on Nov 12 by their Kepe Lepo Kandasu tribesmen, police did not charge them. He said the two policemen conducted a mediation at the police station, set the suspects free and told the suspects’ tribesmen to compensate the victim with money and pigs after three weeks.
The girl’s father said that the two policemen, who had conducted the mediation, said that it was sex by consent so he let the suspect and co-accused go free.
He said that as a father and leader, he wanted the law to take its course.
He said that his daughter was in Hagen when one of the two suspects, one a leader of a Pathfinder, called her and told her that there would be a meeting on Sunday for Pathfinders.
The father said that his daughter, who was a member of Pathfinder, believed it and went to the village and was met on the road by the two suspects. He said that his daughter was taken into one of the suspect’s house at Lyaporambo village where their church was located.
He said the owner of the house locked the girl with another suspect inside and went away.
He claimed the suspect raped her and also got her mother’s touch-screen phone.
The father said that when she reported the matter to the family and police, they called on the suspects to surrender to police but they went into hiding. He said the suspects’ tribesmen looked for them and handed them over to police.
Provincial police commander Jacob Kamiak said that he was not aware of the case and was yet to receive a report on the matter.