Boroko Family & Sexual Violence Unit reports over 10’000 women abused per year

Officer in Charge of Boroko Family & Sexual Violence Unit, Senior Constable Juliana Epe. Photo : PNGTV

Up to 35 abused women go to the Boroko Family and Sexual Violence Unit (FSVU) per day and 90 per cent of them report forceful sexual penetration cases.

That would amount to 11’479 forceful sexual penetration cases processed by the Boroko Family & Sexual Unit, on a yearly average.

The alarming figure was revealed to PNG TV Live by Officer in Charge, Senor Constable, Juliana Epe, who has served the FSVU since its establishment in 2009.

Senior Constable Epe says since 2009, the intake of victimized women at her Unit has staggered and surprisingly, the spectrum of cases includes the upper echelon of society, such as female politicians.

“We take in between 20 - 35 women per day - I have dealt with women who are managers, departmental heads, secretaries and even female Ministers.”

“These women survivors show up with reports of being physically assaulted, bashed up, forcefully raped – other are traumatized with scars, deeps 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 have 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 – most of them do want their partners charged and arrested so we assist them to acquire a Protection Order through the Papua New Guinea Developing Lawyers Association, PNGDLA,” Senior Constable Epe said.

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

But the inability of the young victims to step forward and give evidence has proven to be the barrier that prohibits 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. We send the serious cases to CID or the Sexual Offenses 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.

Epe says the dangerous trend of violence-related crimes inflicted on women is increasing every year and she encourages society to stand up against it.

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

Source : PNG TV