PNG journalist death sparks anger

Papua New Guinea National Capital District (NCD) Governor Powes Parkop is arranging to obtain a court order today to stop the burial of a journalist until a proper post-mortem has been conducted on her.

Rosalyn Albaniel Evara, 41, was the business editor of the Post Courier newspaper until she died on Sunday, Oct 15.

At her funeral service at the Rev Sione Kami Memorial Church in Port Moresby Monday, her aunt Mary Albaniel showed to the crowd images of her body with injury marks on it. The images were shown on a screen inside the church.

Mary Albaniel wore an orange t-shirt with the words: “No to violence against women” on the back. She told the congregation that her niece had been a victim of violence.

The images showed that Evara had injuries to several parts of her body.

A death certificate from the Port Moresby General Hospital showed that Evara, 41, was rushed the hospital after she had collapsed that afternoon. She was reported to have been suffering from headaches the previous day.

Parkop last night was working with police homicide unit at Boroko and the coroner to get a court order to stop her planned burial today at the 9-Mile Cemetery outside Port Moresby until a proper post-mortem was conducted to confirm the cause of her death.

Parkop, a strong advocate of ending the violence against women, said he had called up the newspaper but was told that claims of violence instituted on her by someone close to her were mere allegations.

“I will follow up to find out the truth,” Parkop said.

“I am determined that there must be prosecution if the allegation is true.”

Overseas media were yesterday also chasing up the story of her death.

A police homicide officer at the Boroko police station confirmed with The National last night that they were working on the case with Parkop.

Rosalyn’s mother Ella Albaniel, a former principal of Lae School of Nursing, told The National that she was against the idea of a post-mortem although her daughter could have died from injuries.

Evara completed Grade 12 at the Aiyura National High School in Eastern Highlands in 1993.

She spent two years at Divine World University where she graduated in 1995 with a Diploma in Communication Arts.  She worked with Word Publishing until about 2002 when she joined the Post Courier.

Evara was based in Lae, Madang and Port Moresby.

SOURCE: THE NATIONAL/PACNEWS/PNG Today