Probe into torture of woman halted due to lack of information

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
AN investigation into the torture and death of Koroba woman Mary Kopari accused of sorcery in May has been shelved because of a lack cooperation from the community.
Police in Hela said that the investigations remained opened but with no eyewitnesses coming forward, neither the victim’s family nor her husband’s family, providing information, officers were unable to identify suspects and make arrests.
According to Hela’s officer-in-charge of the provincial criminal investigation division Sgt Daniel Olabe, the investigation had no support from those who witnessed the torture.
“We have appealed for assistance and have moved to make an arrest however, the investigation has yet to get a favourable response from families,” he said.
Kopari, who was in her late 30s, was tortured and killed after a two-year-old boy died on May 7 in Komo-Margarima district.
Kopari, from Halungi village in South Koroba local level government, Koroba-Kopiago district, was married to a man from Tatape village in the Lower Wage LLG, Komo-Margarima.
The relatives of the boy suspected three women including Kopari had caused the boy’s death.
The other women knew they were suspected of sorcery kept away but Kopari, who according to Sgt Olabe had no idea of what had happened, was busy selling potatoes in the market at Margarima station when she was approached by relatives of the boy.
“They confronted Mary and demanded to know why she was practicing sorcery,” Sgt Olabe said.
He said Kopari was tied between two posts with barbed wire and was tortured.
“From 1pm when she was taken, till 10pm she was continuously tortured, assaulted and burned until they chopped off her limbs killing her,” Sgt Olabe said. “Her body was taken down and left along the road at Tigibi in the Hulia LLG.”