Top cop in dark over claims of kidnapping, prostitution

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
CENTRAL’S top police officer remains in the dark over reports of police busting a family for kidnapping girls and using them as sex slaves in the province.
National Capital District /Central commander assistant commissioner Donald Yamasombi said Central police officers were yet to brief him about the Tubuserea village family allegedly kidnapping young girls and forcing them into prostitution in Port Moresby.
Despite registering the incident (OB # 267/12) on Christmas Day at the Central police headquarters and posting the incident which went viral on Facebook, they had not briefed Yamasombi on their course of action.
According to their registry, Central police officers had arrested a son and mother over the incident while the father and daughter could not be found after they allegedly kidnapped two 15-year-old girls from Boera village and took them to Tubuserea.
“They then transported these girls at night to several hotels in Port Moresby for prostitution activities and then took them back to Tubuserea,” the registry recorded.
Police said yesterday that they went to Tubuserea after one of the girls who had escaped from the family reported the matter to them.
“We went and rescued the other girl. When the father and daughter saw us coming, they escaped and are now at large,” police said.
“We then arrested the son and the mother and charged them with human trafficking and kidnapping. We have detained them at the 15-Mile police station.
“We are now appealing for the father and daughter to surrender.”
Police said these grade nine girls who attended a primary school in Central were allegedly kidnapped at Boera last month and kept in captivity for about two weeks before one of the girls escaped.
“They (girls) are believed to be the relatives of the suspects and were lured to Tubuserea on the pretext of celebrating the festive period with the family.”
Police said the mother and son were expected to appear in the District Court next week.