The head of the Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee in Papua New Guinea believes police in East Sepik are closing ranks to protect their own after allegations a teenager was raped by four officers.
PNG's acting police commissioner has set up a high level investigation into the alleged rape of the girl, by Wewak-based policeman, which will also look into the detention of a woman activist at the Wewak police station.
Ume Wainetti told Bridget Tunnicliffe the president of the East Sepik Council of Women went with the girl's relatives to lodge a complaint but was arrested for supposedly leading an illegal protest.
UME WAINETTI: The police station commander had a confrontation with her. I heard she was slapped and fell and was kicked and then put in the cell. And she's still there, not being charged yet. And what we tried to do was to get the police to do the right thing to deal with the police officers who have done this assault on the young girl.
BRIDGET TUNNICLIFFE: Surely you think that once she explained to them why she was there then they would immediately have released her?
UW: Yeah, I'm sure. But they're refusing to listen. And every phone call, whatever we're trying to do, they're not answering phones. So we are following the police channel of communication to discipline the police. We've been in touch with the police high commissioner so they're responding to that and also we spoke to Mr Mondiai, who is in charge of the police in Momase Region, regional commander for police.
BT: You would expect with a case like this that the minister of police or the commissioner of police, surely one phone call to that police station and Miss Mangai should be released.
UW: They're not answering their phones. Even though we are trying they're not answering phones. That's why the police commissioner is sending police from Port Moresby to investigate.
BT: Do you think it appears that they are closing ranks at that police station and trying to protect their own?
UW: I think so, because the young girl who was raped was with Sophie on that day when this incident happened and recognised some of them.
BT: Would you expect those police officers should be suspended straightaway?
UW: Not in Wewak when I think most of them were involved. It meant either the regional or the national office responding to it, which they are doing now.
BT: So you're happy at this stage with the national response?
UW: Yeah. This is the first time I've seen police officers actually being sent immediately to investigate when they're not hearing from the province. This is the first time I'm seeing that happen. It's never been done before. Usually they wait for the letters and things to come, but they're actually sending police officers to investigate.
