“Enough is enough,” is the impassioned plea of the women, mothers and daughters of Papua New Guinea, says Mea Isaac, women’s representative in the Motu-Koitabu Assembly.

She has called for all forms of violence, abuse and discrimination against women to stop in the wake of the latest case of “barbaric torture” sparked by sorcery allegations.

Isaac made the call after witnessing National Capital District (NCD) Governor Powes Parkop hand over K50,000 (abut NZ$22,000) to the Police Department to assist with their operations to catch tribesmen in Southern Highlands alleged to have tortured five women accused of sorcery — killing two of them.

• READ MORE: Hunt down PNG’s sorcery torture ‘glassmen’ – charge them, says Juffa
• Protect women accused of ‘sorcery’ and punish attackers, watchdog tells PNG
• Other PNG sorcery butality reports

She said there were reports of far too much violence directed at innocent women, — especially the weak and helpless, ones who could not defend themselves.

“These are the very people who gave birth to you men, these are the very people who have nurtured you for nine months within their womb and the very people who help you men to grow up in feeding you, clothing you or when you cry and you fall they are there to embrace you,” she said.

“And here you are, callous men, you turn around and do this horrific act in return. Please, enough is enough,” Isaac said.

“No more violence, enough is enough; justice must be served and I am appealing to those who have committed this horrific crime to please surrender yourselves.

‘Your mothers, your sisters, your aunties …’
“These are your mothers, your sisters, your aunties and nieces why do you have to do such a terrible thing to them.”

Isaac said sorcery related, family and sexual related violence was also happening in the NCD. She cited an example such as in her village of Hanuabada, where a husband had beaten his wife to death.

She said there were many reported cases in the city settlements where women were attacked on the whim of so-called “glassman” on allegations of sorcery.

Moresby South women’s rep Rose Hagua shared these sentiments, saying that women and girls — despite so many barriers — wanted to take this challenge and to use their voice as a medium on behalf of the victims.

So they staged a march last December to raise their concerns relating to this “barbaric torture” of women in PNG’s Highlands.

Mark Talia is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

The Papua New Guinean woman who allegedly sold her cousin sister — confirmed to be aged only 12 — to two men for sex in the capital Port Moresby is facing three charges related to child prostitution.

The girl, reported earlier to be 15, was rescued by officers from the Immigration and Citizenship Authority and police on Monday at a guesthouse in Port Moresby where the two men had taken her.

Police confirmed yesterday that the woman, 20, had been charged with one count of obtaining the services of a child prostitute, one count of facilitating or allowing child prostitution, and one count of receiving a benefit from child prostitution.

• READ MORE: PNG police rescue girl, 12, ‘sold’ for sex by her cousin in city crackdown

All three charges come under the PNG Criminal Code Act ch 262.

The girl’s mother yesterday showed documents to prove that her daughter would be turning 13 in a few months.

She told The National outside the police station yesterday that the anger she felt when told of what her child had gone through, saw a near confrontation with the woman — her niece — who allegedly sold her for K100 (NZ$40).

“I was asked that my child spend a night with her cousins,” the girl’s mother said.

‘I trusted my niece’
“As they were her cousins, I allowed her to spend the evening on Monday afternoon until Tuesday.

“When she didn’t return on Tuesday, I didn’t think much about it because she was with her cousins.

“So I was surprised when a police vehicle with my daughter inside turned up at our home on Wednesday morning.”

She accompanied them to the police station, terrified of the bad news she was going to hear.

The woman, who has now remarried, has five children.

The 12-year-old daughter is the third eldest.

“I am a mother of five. My first husband died two years ago. We talk about everything and despite what everyone is saying, she is not involved in that type of activity,” the mother said.

“I trusted my niece and she has broken that trust.”

Police bail not allowed
The National understands that due to the seriousness of the charges, the woman will not be allowed police bail.

She will have to apply for bail when she appears in court.

The girl is currently staying at a safe house arranged by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

Chief Migration Officer Stanis Hulahau said some guest houses were carrying out illegal and undesirable businesses on the pretext of offering cheap accommodation.

“We will continue to pursue those who use guesthouses as a front to carry out illegal activities,” he said.

It is believed that foreigners who have become naturalised citizens, as well as some businessmen, were behind a prostitution racket in Port Moresby.

Miriam Zarriga is a reporter with The National. Republished with permission.

Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has taken a firm stance in formally opposing the government’s plan to punish sex offenders using chemical castration.

The commission has argued that the penalty was not only against human rights, but would not be effective in reducing sex crimes, especially against children.

“Castration as a punishment using any means undermines man’s dignity. This is against human rights principles and it is not in line with Indonesia’s spirit of upholding human rights,” Komnas HAM member Siti Noor Laila said.

“We believe the problems of sexual abuse and crimes are not medical so do not need castration as a solution. Such crimes are related to psychological and social issues,” said commissioner Roichatul Aswidah.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has agreed to issue a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) to create a legal basis for the punishment.

Currently the Perppu is pending approval from the Law and Human Rights Ministry.

The government also needs approval from the House of Representatives to implement the policy.

Medical experts
Komnas HAM said it had held meetings and discussions with medical experts, psychologists and criminologists before announcing its stance to the public.

Aswidah said in dealing with rapists and child predators, the government should take a comprehensive approach, adding that chemical castration was not the answer.

Komnas HAM was also pessimistic about implementation, saying the government should consider factors such as monitoring, budget and carrying out the procedure.

Among the potential issues is who would monitor the perpetrators, as they should receive chemical injections every three months. Previously, Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yambise said chemical castration would act as a deterrent to child sex offenders.

Based on the latest data from the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA), 3,726 sexual crimes were perpetrated against children in 2015, up by 12 percent from 3,326 cases recorded in 2014.

Unlike surgical castration, chemical castration involves the administration of anti-androgenic drugs to reduce sexual urges, compulsive sexual fantasies and the capacity for sexual arousal.

Lasting side effects
The drugs are given in the form of an injection every three months and the castration is reversible when treatment is discontinued. There are, however, lasting side effects.

Chemical castration laws are in force in a number of US states and other countries including South Korea, Moldova, Russia and Estonia.

The treatment is used differently in each country. Some enforce it as part of sentencing, while others use it as a way for perpetrators to reduce their prison terms.

Criminologist Iqrak Sulhin told The Jakarta Post that castration was related to reproductive organs and had no relation to why someone committed sexual crimes.

“I think the punishment is only to calm the public. However, this effort will not address the root of the problem, or why the amount of sex crimes is high,” Iqrak said.

He suggested the government address fundamental problems in society such as gender inequality to reduce such crimes.

Up to 35 abused women go to the Boroko Family and Sexual Violence Unit a day in Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby and 90 percent of them report being raped.

This would amount to 11,479 forceful sexual penetration cases processed by the unit, on a yearly average, says Senior Constable Juliana Epe, the officer in charge.

Senior Constable Epe reported that since 2009 the intake of victimised women at her unit had staggered – and the spectrum of cases included the upper echelon of society, such as female politicians.

“We take in between 20 and 35 women a day – I have dealt with women who are managers, departmental heads, secretaries and even female ministers,” she said.

“These women survivors show up with reports of being physically assaulted, bashed up, forcefully raped – others are traumatised with scars, deep wounds on their bodies inflicted by objects and bruises on their faces,” Senior Constable Epe said.

Girls barely out of their teenage years and women old enough to retire from work had become prey to perpetrators of violence-related crimes, according to Senior Constable Epe.

“Females between the ages of 15 – 55 are what we receive, but we regularly receive women between the ages of 30 – 42 who are either single mothers or housewives and we listen carefully to their reports and establish how they would like us to assist,” she said.

Partners charged
“Most of them do want their partners charged and arrested so we assist them to acquire a protection order through the PNG Developing Lawyers Association (PNGDLA),” Senior Constable Epe said.

The number of incest cases that involved male relatives sexually penetrating their daughters or nieces had also seen a rise.

But the inability of the young victims to step forward and give evidence had proven to be a barrier that prohibited “the wheels of justice from turning”.

“Most of the cases involving children are sexual touching and sexual penetration and they are too shy to come out because the perpetrators are known to them – it could either be their father or uncle or cousin brothers,” she said.

“We send the serious cases to CID or the Sexual Offences Squad and they deal with it.

“These cases are futile if the young victim is unwilling to confirm the report and the perpetrator because who will appear in court? It’s a waste of time because it will be thrown out of court,” Senior Constable Epe explained.

She said the dangerous trend of violence-related crimes inflicted on women was increasing every year and she encouraged society to stand up against it.

“The victimised women and their families must step forward and give information as the inability to do this leads to suicides and other social problems, while the perpetrators walk free,” Senior Constable said.