Crime in Western highlands...a torture & murder of a woman

This is a story of a health worker who was brutally tortured and murdered by western highlands men.

She was born in a loving family. She hails from one of the coastal provinces of Papua New  Guinea.  Her family invested their hard-earned money in her education so that she can enjoy what the world can offer to her and then live to a ripe age.

Her parents told her that she must be a good girl at school and work hard in her schoolwork. So, she took her parental advice with all my heart, and she promise to become health worker to serve the lives of people.

She performed well in her high school exam. So, the PNG government award her scholarship to study health extension course at para medical college, now divine university in Madang Province.

She did not look back, with all the positive vibe from her parents, she did well in her studies and successful graduated with a qualification as a Health Extension Officer.

She got an employment in Western Highlands with division of health as a Health Extension

Officer. She worked very hard to serve the people in that province.

She was still young at that time so she needs a husband who would stay with her for rest of her life. So, she got married to a man from Western Highlander, he was not employed.  

She was not paid for some years, as normally happens to new recruits with government payroll system. After waiting patiently for some years, she was back paid all that she has worked since she started serving the people of western highlands.

She brought the happiness of the earning to her husband whom she trusted. They bought a new car. She gave the car key to him so that he could  drives her to and from work. All she worked for was for her husband so that they can rise a new happy family.  She gave all trust to him.

All went well but after he was sitting on driver’s seat, he was having sexual relationship with another woman, while she was at work. Driving her around in her car and feeding her with all she worked for.

This has irritated her and could not control her temper. She bought a pocketknife at the shop and knife down the woman. Th victim was brought to Mount Hagen hospital and die.

She has not relatives there for protection. She tries to hide but couldn’t. Few work colleagues from coastal provinces try looking for her to safe he life but it was in-vain.

She was caught in the trapped of furious western highlands men from her husband’s village including her own husband. The entire community pass death verdict on her, so, the death sentence was pronounced.

The entire village men took their chance rapping her. She was death unconscious and did not realized how many men got sex from her. They all got what they wanted.

After rapping her they chained two of her legs with the chain. The other end was tied to the back of back of a car. They drive around the village in view of entire village while her body was hanging at the back of a car.  All her body torn into pieces.

Then, they chopped her fingers, forearm, her breast nipples, ears, legs one by one while she was still alive and crying in great pain. She suffered one of the worse deaths in Papua New Guinea. Even the man she loved him, took part in the murder of her own wife.  

FSV Unit [Police] should rise above GBV by enforcing family protection laws

Papua New Guinea is deeply rooted in Gender Based Violence [GBV]. In the old days, the marriage knots were tied traditionally. Consequently, experienced less family base violence. In the modern days, situation have drastically changed due to changing socioeconomic landscape. In old days, one man married more than 2 wives, but they all lived in harmony under one roof but today, this is unseen, but more violence. 

Everyday hundreds of GBV cases are reported at police stations-FSV Unit across the country.

 Given the magnitude of cases presented each day, the government of Papua New Guinea have passed Family Protection Act 2013 [FPA], Lukautim Pikinini ACT and National Prevention & Response to Gender Based Violence Act. These laws are there to protect the lives of men, women and children.

To address GBV effective, the government have established an FSV Unit [image F#1] through the office of Police commissioner, purposely to enforce GBV laws. 

The FSV Unit is totally responsible for addressing GBV in the country. They must fully execute available laws so that the impact of these laws are felt within the county.

According to source, FSV Unit officers are not applying FPA, instead they are using Interim Protection Order [IPO] or Permanent Order [PO]. 

The source said the FSV Unit is operating soft approach.  The example of soft approach is when the victim of violence reports the matter to FSV unit; the Officers say this is family issues so go back home and solve it, or ask them to pay compensation, or the victim of violent go back to her husbands or wives and they persuade each other to select the issues at their homes. As a result it weaken the purpose of FPA -Laws. Or in many instance, police lacks logistic support to do their jobs, such excuse is a chronic problem face by police man and women across PNG.

The sources said once the matter is reported to police, its now a police matter and the police should immediately arrest and charge the perpetrator instead of proposing for compensation, settling at home [etc.], issuing of IPO, PO or sending them to Safe House.

FSV Unit should assess every case presented with Risk Assessment Management tool so that they are able to evaluate the level of risk of lives and properties.

If the risk is very high, the perpetrator should be immediately arrested and charged, and if the risk is low, certain provisions in the law can be applied or employ blended approach in dealing with the issues [blended approach means use of government established laws & PNG customary laws to settle the issues].

The source said one of the issues the PNG Constabulary especially FSV Unit facing is the lack of highly skilled qualified manpower. The FSV Unit should be staffed with highly qualified Psychologists, Counselors, Social Welfare officers- Social Works Graduate etc. The source said that lack of skilled manpower can affect the effective implementation of Family Protection Acts.

The source said FV Unit must not concentrate on IPO or PO. Allow other key stakeholders to implement IPO or PO so that FSV Unit can concentrate on application of Family Protection Acts.

Police Commissioner must come down hard on FSV Unit to rise GBV free bar

This newsroom is reliably informed that late Jenelyn Kennedy reported her deteriorating physical, and psychological health conditions which she suffered in 5 solid years at 6-mile Female Sexual Violence [FSV] Unit [Police station]. After hearing her story, they sent her to safe house and told her to get Interim Protection Order [IPO]. 

The moment late Jenelyn presented her case, the perpetrator or 2^nd in commander to Lucifer as he called himself, should have been arrested and charged. 

Why FSV Unit did not use Risk Assessment Management tool to define the level of risk to Jenelyn’s life? Why FSV Unit did not use Family Protection Act to deal with this case diligently? Simply sending her to safe house and advising her to get IPO is not good enough job done.

The FSV Unit officers are experienced and knowledgeable people. They are trained as such know their jobs in and out yet come short to Jenelyn’s cases is unacceptable.

She was fragile and weak yet pull herself and walk to your officer to report her case. In her heart, she knew that if her husband finds her reporting him to police, he would infiltrate her fragile physical and psychological body again but stood tall to come to see the authority. She knew that was the safest thing to do, which she did. She openly spoke to you -FSV Unit Officers about her case, yet all went uncared. This is total failure of professional duty of care.

Why FSV Officer did not arrest and charge the perpetrator? What went wrong here? Why the case knowingly slippery through the informed and knowledgeable hands. Was there no enough evidence to execute the arrest and charge him?

Police Commissioner [PC-Imagef#1] must come down hard on the officers’ who deliberate oversight the use of available laws to protect the life of Jenelyn. This is a serious failure by officers, whom we trust them to do their jobs with great care.

The country does not want to see this to repeat. FSV Unit must rise their Uniform and Oath they have signed to SAVE lives above the bar. There is more and more Gender Base Violence [GBV] cases and Police must use the available laws to deal with the issues.

The source said FSV officers executing IPOs and Summons and not using Family Protection Act [FPA] to arrest and charge the perpetrator. The FSV officers should concentrate on applying FPA and let other partners to deal with IPOs and Permanent Order [PO].

There is lots of money pumped into FSV unit, yet the result is below the standard. The financier should hold their money back until FSV Unit rises their bar above the GBV in Papua New Guinea.