Prime suspect of murder flees, say police

POLICE say the prime suspect in the murder of a woman accused of sorcery is believed to have fled to Enga.
Kepari Leniata, a 20-year-old mother of one from Enga, was tortured, stripped and set on fire in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands, last Wednesday.
Police said the killing, conducted in broad daylight, was watched by hundreds of civilians, who tried to stop officers intervening.
Leniata was accused of sorcery after a six-year-old boy – a relative of her attackers – died in Mt Hagen Hospital the night before.
It is not known if Leniata was related to the boy.
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says it is disturbed by reports of the killing.
The OHCHR says it is concerned the case adds to the growing pattern of vigilante attacks and killings of people accused of sorcery in Papua New Guinea.
The UN body is urging the PNG government to put an end to these crimes and to bring perpetrators of attacks and killings to justice in accordance with international law.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill described the killing as “barbaric” and has directed police to immediately apprehend all suspects.
The US government has also condemned the killing, saying there is no possible justification for this sort of violence.
It says this incident once again highlights the need for comprehensive action to address the pervasive global problem of gender-based violence.