My Phone Friend Raped me

A 21 year old girl from Jiwaka Province was raped last Saturday night at Sogeri by someone whom she described as her former phone friend. This report was confirmed by Hohola Police Station Commander Mr Ben Kua.

Station Commander, Mr Ben Kua said, the Survivor who does not want to be named managed to escape early Sunday morning and laid compaints with the Hohola Police station.

Station Commander, Mr Ben Kua said the perpetrator was someone the victim knew; he was her phone friend and lived in Port Moresby whilst she was in Jiwaka early this year. The perpetrator promised her a good life and bought her plane ticket to Port Moresby.

The promise of a good life was only for a week, before he dumped her with his relatives at Burns Peak, Hohola and disappeared for a period of time. Sadly it was not long before she got kicked out of the house where she was living.

With no knowledge of the whole city, no knowledge of where she can find any relatives, she was lost as to how she will live and survive in the city.

“She was finding ways to go back home to Jiwaka, so she came to us to seek assistance,” said Mr Kua.

“We searched for any possible family members here but to no avail.”

Mr Kua said, “She does not have any family here to actually get them to contact families back in Jiwaka”.

Sadly the victim had to take shelter with a family from Southern Highlands who were generous enough to offer her a space in their family home.

Upon hearing that his phone friend was no longer living with his family, he came to Hohola Burns Peak to look for her. When he found her, he convinced her that he had come to take her to go and live with him.

They left on Saturday 03rd November for Sogeri.  Little did she know of what might happen during that night.

“The victim was raped three (3) times in the night by the perpetrator”, Mr Kua said.

“It was a good thing she managed to escape early Sunday morning, and wasted no time but came in to put a report of what had happened,”he said.

“We did a request for a medical report and we are currently writing a crime report”, Mr Kua said.

Mr Kua further explained that as soon as the medical report comes in, the suspect will be arrested. Currently the suspect is residing a tBurns Peak at Hohola.

It is sad to see that despite numerous efforts by Human Rights Defenders, Non –Government Organisation, Police and Family Sexual Violence Unit to fight against all forms of sexual violence, it is still increasing in the country. Sadly many rape victims or survivors suffer at the hands of those they know, trust and depend on.
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November 9, 2018
Delilah PORAIKALI (UPNG Trainee student)/ PNGFM News