MPs to debate tough new laws

 By FRANK S KOLMA

SORCERY-related killings will attract the death penalty under amendments to the Criminal Code to be tabled in Parliament soon.

Aggravated rape will also attract the death penalty.

So too will stealing and corruption which involves amounts of more than K10 million.

The proposed amendments to the Criminal Code are part of the Government’s promise to change the law and increase penalties to combat widespread killings, sexual violence against women and rampant corruption.

Amendment to Section 299A of the code will see any person who intentionally kills ano­ther on account of accusation that the person is practising sorcery is guilty of wilful murder. 

Penalty for wilful murder of a person on account of accusation of sorcery is death. 

Sorcery under this amendment includes what is known in various languages in PNG as witchcraft, magic, enchantment, puripuri, muramura, dikana, vada, mea mea, sanguma or malira whether or not connected with or related to the supernatural.

Section 347A is proposed for amendment to make aggravated rape punishable by death. 

The new law covers any person who sexually penetrates the vagina or anus or such other body part of another person with any body part, objects or implements, without consent and while armed with a dangerous weapon or offensive weapon; in the company with one of more other persons and causes grievous bodily harm to a person, before, after or in the course of the offence; or if the victim is under the age of 10 years.

Most striking are the changes proposed for sections covering stealing, misappropriation and robbery.

Under these amendments any person who steals amounts between K1 million and K9.99 million will be imprisoned for life without remission and without parole. 

The amendment bill proposes that if the amounts stolen or misappropriated are over K10 million, the penalty shall be death.

Amendments have also been proposed for the execution of sentence of death law.

The punishment of death shall be carried out by:

• Hanging the offender by the neck until the person is dead;
• Administration of anesthetics followed by lethal injection;
• Medical death through anesthetic administration and deprivation of oxygen; or
• Death by a firing squad.