Relook at death penalty proposal

 By PETER ESOP WARI

A PASTOR has called on the government to think twice about imposing the death penalty and harsher jail terms on crimes such as rape.

Pastor Thomas Makinja of the PNG Christian Fellowship from Warakum village said most of the crimes were committed by unemployed youths who could not marry the women they fell in 

love with.

“A girl from a wealthy family can fall in love with a boy coming from a poor background but they will never get married,” he said.

“This is because the girl sees that he will not meet her needs and wants. The boy then lives with regret and frustration all his life.”

He said the two might want to get married but parents and relatives would keep them apart after assessing their background.

He said such people needed money as it had become the answer to everything.

He said Papua New Guinea was a Christian country and pastors preach about love in churches but people did not understand what love was.

He said girls, after seeing others dressing expensively  tried to find money to dress like them.

“And they will not marry men from the village as they do not have money,” he said.

“Whether ugly or old, they will still marry a man who is employed and has money.”

He said the only way to stop rape was to create employment opportunities so that everyone had money to make choices in their lives.

He said girls who could not get married to an employed man turned to prostitution to earn a living.