Court tells feuding couples to leave their children out of their fight
Court tells feuding couples to leave their children out of their fight
PORT MORESBY: When a couple’s love relationship turns sour or when love is lost, their children inadvertently are dragged into their feud.
And a magistrate has rightly told couples, especially mothers, to stop using or dragging their children into their legal feuds.
Mount Hagen magistrate Donald Joseph said: “Whether your husband leaves you or marries another, it is your and your husband’s problem. Not the children’s.”
The National has the details with this report:
Love lost
By JAMES GUMUNOA MAN who is living with his second wife was ordered by the Mount Hagen district court yesterday to return his three children to their mother.
Magistrate Donald Joseph also told Merlin Naian to seek help from the police family sexual crime violence unit if her husband, Dakri Konga, refused to comply with the order.
Naian had sought the court order to secure the custody of her children, aged two, six and nine, who were taken away by Konga to live with his second wife.
Joseph said: “The children need the comfort and care of their (maternal) mother to grow up.”
In another case, Joseph urged mothers not to use their children to punish their husbands.
“Whether your husband leaves you or marries another, it is your and your husband’s problem. Not the children’s,” he added.
Joseph made the remarks after a mother of two, who was left by her husband, told the court that the K200 fortnightly allowance provided by her husband for his children was insufficient and asked for an increase.
Joseph said: “If your husband is complying with the court order to pay fortnightly allowances to his children, there is no reason for you to try to punish him by asking for more.
“You are a lucky woman to get K200 fortnightly for your children. Some women don’t even get anything despite such court orders.
“Life is getting tough. Use the K200 wisely to raise your children.”
Joseph told Naian that her reasons in her affidavit for an increase in allowance due to higher costs of living were unreasonable.
“Unless your husband did not help in paying school fees or meeting medical expenses for his children, then you have the right to come to court,” he added.
Magistrate Donald Joseph also told Merlin Naian to seek help from the police family sexual crime violence unit if her husband, Dakri Konga, refused to comply with the order.
Naian had sought the court order to secure the custody of her children, aged two, six and nine, who were taken away by Konga to live with his second wife.
Joseph said: “The children need the comfort and care of their (maternal) mother to grow up.”
In another case, Joseph urged mothers not to use their children to punish their husbands.
“Whether your husband leaves you or marries another, it is your and your husband’s problem. Not the children’s,” he added.
Joseph made the remarks after a mother of two, who was left by her husband, told the court that the K200 fortnightly allowance provided by her husband for his children was insufficient and asked for an increase.
Joseph said: “If your husband is complying with the court order to pay fortnightly allowances to his children, there is no reason for you to try to punish him by asking for more.
“You are a lucky woman to get K200 fortnightly for your children. Some women don’t even get anything despite such court orders.
“Life is getting tough. Use the K200 wisely to raise your children.”
Joseph told Naian that her reasons in her affidavit for an increase in allowance due to higher costs of living were unreasonable.
“Unless your husband did not help in paying school fees or meeting medical expenses for his children, then you have the right to come to court,” he added.
Kramer hopes grant will help tackle violence, abuse
By CLIFFORD FAIPARIKPOLICE Minister Bryan Kramer says the European Union (EU) has a K70 million grant to help address domestic violence and sexual abuses against minors.
“I will seek the EU’s help to use the fund to ensure the protection and safety of our mothers and young girls. We will work hand-in-hand with the EU,” he added.
Kramer said yesterday that the people would see big changes in the conduct of policemen and officers in the next three months in terms of attitude and accountability.
“And communities must play their part to help in crime prevention, instead of harbouring criminals.”
Kramer said a good example was the rescuing of a six-year-old child who was sexually abused by a senior family member in Port Moresby with the help of a Facebook posting.
“Today (yesterday) we were able to arrest the suspect and have him charged with sexual violence. That was because a FB member took the initiative to post or tag someone who then tagged me. I brought it to the attention of the police,” he said.
“The posting provided all the details to help the police track and rescue the victim.”
Kramer said that prior to the FB post, the mother of the victim had reported the incident to the Gordon police station.
“Unfortunately, the officers said that due to no car and fuel, they could not respond. The mother was also threatened not to report the matter,” he said.
“Now the mother and victim are in the women’s safe house.”
Meanwhile, Kramer said he had asked Police Commissioner Gari Baki to submit a report on all the outstanding cases, like the 2015 Hanuabada killing, 2016 University of PNG shooting, 2017 election related killing of police officers in Enga and Southern Highlands and the 2018 burning down of the Air Niugini Dash 8 plane in Mendi.
“I will seek the EU’s help to use the fund to ensure the protection and safety of our mothers and young girls. We will work hand-in-hand with the EU,” he added.
Kramer said yesterday that the people would see big changes in the conduct of policemen and officers in the next three months in terms of attitude and accountability.
“And communities must play their part to help in crime prevention, instead of harbouring criminals.”
Kramer said a good example was the rescuing of a six-year-old child who was sexually abused by a senior family member in Port Moresby with the help of a Facebook posting.
“Today (yesterday) we were able to arrest the suspect and have him charged with sexual violence. That was because a FB member took the initiative to post or tag someone who then tagged me. I brought it to the attention of the police,” he said.
“The posting provided all the details to help the police track and rescue the victim.”
Kramer said that prior to the FB post, the mother of the victim had reported the incident to the Gordon police station.
“Unfortunately, the officers said that due to no car and fuel, they could not respond. The mother was also threatened not to report the matter,” he said.
“Now the mother and victim are in the women’s safe house.”
Meanwhile, Kramer said he had asked Police Commissioner Gari Baki to submit a report on all the outstanding cases, like the 2015 Hanuabada killing, 2016 University of PNG shooting, 2017 election related killing of police officers in Enga and Southern Highlands and the 2018 burning down of the Air Niugini Dash 8 plane in Mendi.
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