Officials complete training on child act

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday February 11th, 2014

 By ELIAS LARI

THIRTY-two people, including village court chairmen and clerks, have completed a week-long workshop on the Lukautim Pikinini Act at Mt Hagen.

Two mothers were among the participants from the Hagen electorate in Western Highlands.

The workshop was to help guide them how to deal with children’s cases.

It was to inform them what powers they had to implement the law regarding children.

Among the topics discussed were HIV/AIDS training, alcohol-root cause of law and order problem, drug abuse, awareness on the Lukautim Pikinini Act and the points that affected children.

The workshop was funded by the United Nation Incentive Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

UNICEF child protection coordinator PNG, Josephine Hill, Western Highlands provincial village court officer Johnny Pena and Edith Namba from the Western Highlands provincial health authority (WHPHA) well women clinic took part in the workshop.

Namba said that about 80% of abuse and sexual violence involved children.

Namba said serious cases were left to the higher court to deal with.

“We are training them on the importance of dealing with cases that involves children like abuse and sexual violence,” Namba said.

“These are some of the very serious cases where proper training is needed to deal with them.” 

She said child abuse and sexual violence required close focus.

“We must all work together and fight against this.”

Namba said the training was to equip and educate village court officials.

Pena said the Lukautim Pikinini Act bill was passed in 2009.