Woman: Soldier hubby beat me

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The National, Thursday 13th September, 2012

THE wife of an army officer says her husband has repeatedly beaten and threatened to kill by her.
She said she had been suffering violent abuse at the hands of her husband since 2007.
The woman, 24, from Dagua, East Sepik, said her husband had been doing that with the full knowledge of his superiors at the barracks where they lived and no action had ever been taken against her husband.
The woman claimed she had been the victim of domestic violence from the day they got married.
The couple have two children; a four-year-old girl and a 10-month-old baby.
“He would bash me severely while in full uniform,” the victim said.
“One time he booted me and pointed a 9mm pistol at me and threatened to kill me,” she said.
“His commanding officer was living just next door but he did not do anything.”
She said in May, the officer tried strangling her before breaking a wooden chair on her head.
She said she had been bleeding heavily but no one bothered to take her to the hospital.
She said she had laid a formal complaint against her husband with the SOI Coordination unit at Murray Barracks in September 2011 and was promised action would be taken against the officer.
But since then nothing had happened.
“I have been assured many times that action will be taken against him but nothing has happened,” she said.
“I am fed up of the abuse that’s why I’m coming out in public.
“I know the same thing is happening to other wives of soldiers too.
“I want them to speak out.”
When told of the allegations yesterday, Army Chief-of-Staff Captain Alois Tom Ur said they were very serious matters and the army did not take them lightly.
“Wife beating is a serious offence in the military,” Ur said.
“The commander has made it very clear that any officer who beats his wife will be dismissed,” he said.
Ur said that order was still in effect and perpetrators would be dealt with accordingly if found guilty.
He said the army was a disciplined organisation and there was no place for wife-bashers.
Ur said he not aware of the case and urged the victim to register it with the chief of personnel.
Ur said once the complaint was laid, investigations would start and disciplinary action taken if neccessary.