Yanis commends police for arresting negligent parents

Main Stories

POLICE have been commended for arresting and charging parents who abandon or fail to look after their children under the Lukautim Pikinini Act.
Simon Yanis, the director of the Office of the Child and Family Service, said children were vulnerable if left on their own.
“I thank the police for (enforcing) this (law) to teach parents that children are innocent and must not be abandoned,” he said.
“The child needs parental care and support, and if that is not given by the parents, then (they have) committed an offence.”
He urged parents to think about their children when sorting out marital issues.
Recently, police in Western Highlands arrested two mothers who had abandoned their children for more than six months.
Betty Ohonu, the officer in charge of the family and sexual violence unit in Mt Hagen, confirmed that the arrests were made under the Lukautim Pikinini Act.
“This month, we have received 21 complaints of child negligence,” she said.
“Of the 21, two have been arrested, three were cautioned and 16 cases are still pending.”