Posted By Staff Reporter
Via PNG Breaking News (FB) A PNG Judge has fully acquitted the man-slaughter charges of a drunkard husband who had killed his wife during a domestic violence fight in 2020. On the 28th of August 2020, a young mother Ms. Rayleen Tona was subjected to some horrendous beating from her husband, 35-year-old Steven Gabriel of Teremanda, Wabag. Neighbours at Kapiak Street, Lae had testified to hearing Tona’s wild screams, as Gabriel battered the 28-year-old and left her lying unconscious on the floor. Gabriel’s assault was so brutal, it ruptured Tona’s spleen. She passed away, several hours later due to loss of blood. And with Papua New Guineans from all walks of life, publicly calling on the government and their mandated leaders to review existing laws on domestic violence and to bring an end to gender-based violence, a prison sentence anyway between 10-years to life behind bars would have been sufficient for Gabriel. This, however, was not to be the desired court proceedings outcome. Lae based Judge, Justice Lawrence Kangwia saw it fit to suspend Gabriel’s proposed 10-years custodial sentence in its entirety.
When justifying this baffling decision, Justice Kangwia drew attention to a ‘special mitigating factor’. He noted ‘cash and food items valued at K10,000’ was paid in compensation to the victim’s relatives. K10,000, it appears, is the value of a young woman’s life in a Christian country like Papua New Guinea. Reports obtained from the Lae Court proceedings states, other than the time already spent on remand, Steven Gabriel will not serve another minute in prison. God bless Papua New Guinea Next : Treasurer Ling-Stuckey's Claims Are Wrong, Says Former PNG PM O'Neill Comments are closed.
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