Man to stand trial for allegedly touching girl’s genitals

A MAN charged with sexual touching of a minor last year was committed to trial in the National Court by Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Paul Nii.
Magistrate Nii made the ruling after Inawai Koupa, 28, of Goilala and Morobe, told the court on Tuesday that he did not touch the victim’s private part
However, Magistrate Nii upon assessing Koupa’s statement in his record of interviews with the police that he touched the victim’s private part.
It was alleged that on Nov 28, last year, between 2pm and 3pm the victim was at her parents’ house at 7-Mile when Koupa offered her a scone, which she refused.
The accused then told her to sit down and not talk while he allegedly pushed his hands into the victim’s trousers and played with her private part.
While he was doing that, the victim’s grandmother returned from collecting cans and found Koupa’s hand in her granddaughter’s trousers.
She yelled at Koupa and asked him about what he was doing.
Koupa then removed his hand and pretended to start a fire.
The grandmother called the girl and asked her and she told her what Koupa did to her.
“The accused called me to go see him and offered me the scone but I refused so he told me to sit and not talk while he put his hands into my trousers and was holding my vagina,” the girl’s statement said.
The grandmother alerted the victim’s parents and Koupa was taken to the airport police station, arrested and charged.
He was remanded in custody and will return for National Court listing on Nov 3.