Man guilty of verbal molestation

A DISTRICT Court in Goroka has found a 48-year-old man guilty of using abusive language yesterday after he threatened a 13-year-old girl with taking her virginity.
The court heard that the accused had been drunk at the time when he acted inappropriately.
Senior Provincial Magistrate Josephine Nidue found Mack Yabir, of Kompiam-Ambum in Enga, guilty of the charge when he told the minor “bai mi brukim virgin blong yu” (I will break your virginity) last Wednesday (July 5).
Yabir pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 7 (b) of the Summary Offences Act (SOA) for alleged verbal child molestation.
Convictions carry a fine of K2,000 and a sentence not exceeding two years with hard labour.
Magistrate Nidue asked Yabir whether he had daughters, sisters, a mother and a wife when he said what he had to the girl.
She said there was a law protecting children called the Child Protection Act.
“We have to deal with such cases seriously as a deterrent to others.
“I will decide your sentence next week Friday,” she said.
The incident occurred in the afternoon (4pm-5pm) at Zokozoi village outside Goroka.
An intoxicated Yabir had gone to an area where a group, including the victim and her aunt, were playing bingo where he made the utterance to the girl, who is a student at North Goroka Primary School, which was overheard by the aunt.
The girl was left shaken by Yabir’s words and cried.
When her parents were told they confronted Yabir and brought him to the police station where he was questioned, arrested and appeared before the court yesterday.