Man facing trial after 9-year-old girl raped

National

By Alphonse Porau
A man was committed to stand trial at the National Court charged with raping a nine-year-old girl at a Central village last year.
Raivali Kini, 24, from Kelerakwa village on the Aroma Coast of Abau in Central was charged with sexual penetration of a minor.
Magistrate Ben Kome told the Waigani Committal Court after going through the statement filed by the accused that ignorance of the law was not an excuse.
“In your statement you raised some differences stating that there was consent between you and the victim, and you were not aware of the law of having sexual intercourse with a minor,” Kone said.
“Whether you are aware of it or not, the law is already in place and ignorance of the law is not an excuse, it is a must that everyone understands the law.”
Kome said the court had made the ruling and found that there was sufficient evidence made out against the charge and there was prima facie case established to commit that defendant to trial.
The court heard that on Dec 23, at Kelerakwa village, the accused after seeing the victim’s parents leaving the house,  went to the house and grabbed hold of her while she was scraping coconut.
He then kept her mouth shut by securing it with a piece of material and took her into the bedroom and raped her.  After that the victim was threatened not to tell anyone.
The court heard that the victim was found by her aunty after she found blood in the house and followed her to the river where the victim had fainted.  She was taken to the hospital for treatment and later discharged.  The accused was later arrested and charged at the Kupiano Police Station.