Violence not an acceptable practice

A YOUNG businessman convicted of manslaughter for causing the death of his girlfriend has been sentenced to jail for 15 years.
The court found Richard Namaliu, 28, punched Ruby-Anne Laufa, forcing her to jump out of the car he was driving which led to her death in 2017.
According to Wikipedia, manslaughter is the crime of killing a human being without malice aforethought, or in circumstances not amounting to murder.
Many will say ‘justice has been served’.
But life will never be the same for all parties involved from the victim to the offender.
For Laufa’s family, the only justice would be to have their loved one back.
The offender spends the next 15 years locked away.
Being a young businessman, Namaliu obviously had dreams.
Unfortunately, those dreams have gone away with the wind.
All because of his uncontrolled actions.
Too late now.
Justice Teresa Berrigan while handing down her decision said it was yet another case where a woman died at the hands of a current or former boyfriend, someone she should have been able to trust.
“Women are an integral part of society.
“They are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity.
“They have the same rights and privileges as men.
“They are entitled to fully participate in, and benefit from, the development of the country.
“This is only possible when women live free from fear of violence or death in their own homes or at the hands of their husbands, partners or boyfriends.”
One of the biggest problems with wife bashing and general violence against women in PNG is that many say the issue is a personal one and a problem that should be firstly solved within the confines of the relationship.
But therein lies the problem, once a woman is assaulted, it is a crime.
There are no grey areas here.
A physical assault on another individual by another is just that.
Being married or being in some type of relationship with the abuser is not a mitigating circumstance and should never be.
And the law does not give anyone the right to assault anyone and it does not excuse a man to assault a woman.
The crime involved of taking away the life of another (whether intentional or unintentional), the consequences is lifetime.
Any form of compensation will not match the life that was lost and the pain inflicted on the immediate family members. Attitudes toward women in this country need to change and do so in a hurry.
It is never alright to abuse a wife or female friend physically, emotionally, sexually and in any other form that deprives them of their rights.
The clear message to everyone is that violence is not an acceptable practice.
It is also a concern when those who perpetrate violence using extreme measures without worrying about the moral, physical or legal consequences.
The sentence will serve as a reformatory punishment for Namaliu.
The sentence will serve as a reminder to everyone that the gift of life to a person is an ultimate gift which no one has the right to take it at any cost.