Six years for sex abuse

By ELIZABETH VUVU
SEXUAL crimes against under-aged children are not only illegal but also against social norms which can cause disunity among a community, says a judge.
Kokopo National Court judge Justice Salatiel Lenalia made the comment while sentencing a man to six years in jail for sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl in April last year.
Justice Lenalia said sexual crimes committed against under-aged children were serious because they were not only against the law but also could destroy unity among the people, damage the reputation of the family and affect the social relationships among people living in a community. He also said judges in the country had tried as much as possible to impose harsh penalties on offenders to act as a deterrent.
“(But) these efforts are in vain. Despite imposition of high sentences, this trend has not created any desired results,” he said.
He said sexual abuse of children, whether in a family or in a community, warrants tough penalties for offenders.
The court was told that Patrick Korbu was renting a property belonging to the girl’s uncle at Vunamami One near Kokopo.
The court heard that Korbu had called the girl into the house he was renting and told her to go into his daughters’ room while they were outside playing with other children.
He sexually abused her inside the room.
The court heard that it was a serious breach of trust, authority and dependency because Korba had been renting the property belonging to the girl’s uncle who lived in the same location.