Man accused of raping teacher

POLICE have detained a 22-year-old man from Madang’s Bogia over the assault and rape of a female primary school teacher at his Dugulaba village on Manam Island.
Police said the 23-year-old victim, from the Highlands, was a new graduate who had been with Dugulaba Primary School for nine months.
Police alleged that Clement Abi, a local on the island, had coerced the teacher into marriage which lasted four months before the pair separated.
According to the police brief, on Oct 12, a drunk Abi allegedly broke into the teacher’s residence with a bush knife and assaulted and raped her.
He allegedly escaped, leaving the victim unconscious. She was found and taken to the Bogia Health Centre for treatment.
Madang police commander Mazuc Rubiang said a police team was deployed to the island last week and arrested Abi with the assistance of the Kukurai and ward councillor.
Rubiang said Abi and the teacher were brought back to Bogia Station as part of the investigation.
Abi is in police custody.
Meanwhile, in another incident a week earlier, a 16-year-old girl, from Dogia village, was alleged to have been forcefully taken to Puk village in ward 25, Yawar local level government, Bogia.
While police are yet to establish the motive for the alleged kidnapping, it is understood that the suspect is a Grade Six student attending the same school as the girl.
According to police, the girl was allegedly forced into a 15-seater PMV bus at the Bogia bus stop in the town and taken to Puk. Police alleged that she managed to escape from the suspect’s village and sought refuge with a nearby family who contacted Bogia police.
“Delta Force and Bogia police rescued the girl and brought her back to Bogia Police Station,” Rubiang said.
Police have warned the suspect to surrender while the girl has been reunited with her family.