Lihir youth charged with raping girl, 12

A TEENAGE youth on Lihir Island has been committed to stand trial in the National Court for sexually penetrating a 12-year-old girl.
John Lausen, 19, of Zobotkuen village in Lihir, New Ireland province, was charged with two counts of sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16, under section 299 of the Criminal Code.
The charges included one count of unlawful sexual touching and one count of sexual penetration of a child under 16.
Lihir District Court magistrate Bruce Tasikul committed Lausen to stand trial in the next National Court sitting in Lihir next year.
The alleged incident occurred on Sept 11, when the accused allegedly grabbed the victim when she was collecting coconuts at Masahaet Island and raped her.
The victim was later taken to the hospital by her relatives where medical reports revealed that she had been raped.
Meanwhile, magistrate Tasikul said there were a lot of committal cases pending in Lihir to be heard by the National Court.
He said there had been no National Court circuit in Lihir this year.
Magistrate Tasikul said as a result a number of outstanding cases were still pending.
He said he had written to the senior resident judge in Kokopo, Justice Salatiel Lenalia, to have a National Court sitting in Lihir early next year to deal with the outstanding cases.