PNG Court Convicts 70 School Students Over City Fight Incitement

National Capital District Metropolitan Superintendent Warrick Simatab

Seventy students from various schools around Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, have been handed convictions after the Port Moresby District Court found them guilty of stirring up fights within the city on Friday.

The court matter, heard by Magistrate Sandy Tiankin, has been welcomed by police as a strong message to the country's youth that violence among students will not be tolerated in the capital.

National Capital District Metropolitan Superintendent Warrick Simatab confirmed the outcome after receiving a briefing from prosecutors following the ruling. Each of the convicted students was fined K200, with the amount deducted directly from their bail money. On top of the fine, the court placed them under a six-month good behaviour bond, warning that any fresh offending during that period would carry consequences.

Supt Simatab used the opportunity to urge the students to redirect their energy toward their studies rather than roaming in packs to clash with rivals from other institutions.

Police also revealed that a further 20 students, treated as adults under the law, are set to front up at the Boroko District Court to answer to similar allegations. According to Supt Simatab, this outcome will now serve as a benchmark for how police pursue future cases involving groups of students inciting violence.

He added that law enforcement intends to partner more closely with school administrations going forward, pushing for the expulsion of students who continue such conduct despite warnings. Parents, he said, must also step up and instil discipline at home before their children even reach the school gate.

"Your parents, guardians, and sponsors make sacrifices and invest in your education because they want you to have a better future. Do not allow peer pressure, rivalry, or social influence to destroy those opportunities. Choose discipline. Choose respect. Choose education. Choose education over violence. Your future is worth far more than one fight," Supt Simatab said.