Mercy for hubby killers

 News that matter in Papua New Guinea

 Women inmates in Bomana prison in Port Moresby.

Mercy for hubby killers

PORT MORESBY: Correctional Services Minister Win Bakri Daki wants the Government to reintroduce the Power of Mercy provision as a remedy for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) victims and survivors.

He said there were 208 women prisoners in Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s jails out of which 179 were serving time for killing their husbands.

What do you think?

Read on to find out why Daki feels there should be mercy for hubby killers:

Plea for husband-killers

May 31, 2021The NationalMain Stories

Win Bakri Daki

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
CORRECTIONAL Services Minister Win Bakri Daki wants the Government to re-introduce the Power of Mercy provision as a remedy for gender-based violence (GBV) victims and survivors.
He said there were 208 women prisoners in PNG jails out of which 179 were serving time for killing their husbands.
“The hubby-killers are into their fifth and eighth year of imprisonment in seven prisons,” he added.
Daki told the two-day parliamentary inquiry into GBV that some women were also awaiting their trial.
The alarming statistics has forced Daki to urge the Government to re-introduce the provision.
“The provision will see the release of women prisoners who are not a threat to communities and societies.
“Most of the women prisoners are in prison with their children. When I visited the prisons, most of the women prisoners lamented how they were incarcerated.
“One told me her husband decided to get a second wife and he treated her differently to his second wife.
“She was forced to work extra hard, and in anger, she killed him,” Daki said.
“Another prisoner lamented that she was assaulted daily, and decided that she had enough of the beatings and killed her husband.
“Her three children are now living with relatives while she served time.
“These women need our help.
“They know what they did was wrong, but if they were given the services that they needed, they would not be in the position they are in now.
“I am now looking into ensuring that we provide active participation by partners and faith-based organisations for restoration of fragmented relationships and mending family ties for reconciliation and resettlement. “There must be greater collaborative effort from
the Government and other implementing agencies to work together to remedy the issues.
“CS (Correctional Service) will reorganise and allow for stakeholders and partnerships to work with us in finding lasting solutions to deal with GBV perpetrators in custody.
“This will lead to rehabilitating and addressing the dilemma facing GBV victims and survivors,” he added.

Power of Mercy provision before cabinet

May 31, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
FORMER Attorney-General Davis Steven says the Power of Mercy provision was submitted to the National Executive Council (NEC) in 2020.
The National understands that in 2017, an advisory committee on the provision was established by the Government for death row prisoners.
Steven said that after the National Court ordered the Government to set up and give resources to the committee to allow prisoners on death row to apply for the provision after exhausting all rights to appeal.
“They cannot go to the Power of Mercy Provision just like that.
“It only comes after all the processes of appeals have been exhausted. Prisoners get that help requesting for clemency and it is then that the provision is considered or exercised by the advisory committee,” he had said in 2017.
Steven said the NEC had always prioritised the human rights of prisoners on death row.
In a recent interview with The National, Steven said: “I am happy to see the enthusiasm of the new Correctional Minister (Win Bakri Daki) on the provision.
He will be well assisted and guided by his Commissioner and Law and Justice sector leaders.
“The minister must prompt the Justice Minister (Bryan Kramer) to get the PMP going.”
“Just like the parole board, the provision was dysfunctional before my time as justice minister and attorney-general.
“This is critical work that had to be pursued, given the increasing number of prisoners who needed to access this jurisdiction and the delay in NEC on related matters of implementation of the death penalty.”
Daki had asked the Government to re-introduce the provision to help women prisoners. The recent Special Parliamentary Committee on Gender-Based Violence Inquiry was told that the provision could be applied to help women prisoners who killed their husbands due to GBV.

Protection system launched for social workers

May 31, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By GYNNIE KERO
CHILD and Family Services office director Simon Yanis says the country will soon know the extent of violence affecting children and families.
Last Friday, the Government launched a protection management system for social welfare workers called Primero.
It is an online and offline case and information management system to protect children, women and survivors of violence.
It aims to support social welfare workers in the management of protection-related data and violence-related cases.
“Primero will help us understand better the extent to which violence affects children and families – an area where data is scarce,” he said.
“The data collected through this new system will cover this gap.
“Primero will make children and women visible and will provide the missing evidence for planning and for increased and actual budget allocation to prevention and response services for survivors of violence.”
Community Development, Youth and Religion Minister Wake Goi said: “Our vision is to protect children, women and families by creating a comprehensive protection system such as Primero that addresses the protection needs and vulnerability of women and girls.”
Primero system administrator Jack Imbu said: “Primero is going to change the way workers handle cases.
“The technology behind Primero provides the opportunity to connect the central level institutions with the sub-national level. Primero will also ensure accountability over case management.”
UN Resident Coordinator Gianluca Rampolla said: “Because of its flexibility to adapt to specific contexts and realities and combine different modules, for example GBV and child protection.
“It is important that in PNG we start to address this violence using a system perspective, avoiding fragmentation.
“This will open up important opportunities for the Government and development partners to maximise use of resources, foster collaboration across sectors, and to accelerate achievement of results.”
Beginning tomorrow (June 1), the Government is expected to start provincial engagements on the implementation of the Lukautim Pikinini Act 2015 to reach five provinces before the end of this year.

Resourcing social workers helps protection: Official

May 31, 2021The NationalNational

RESOURCING social welfare workers will ensure that protection mechanisms such as the Lukautim Pikinini Act are fully implemented, says United Nations resident coordinator Gianluca Rampolla.
Rampolla also said it was important to have a skilled workforce to deal with family violence cases.
He acknowledged the Government for ensuring that the system became a reality particularly in strengthening the protection system and to respond to violence against women, girls and children.
He said the Government was responsible for providing quality care and support to survivors.
He told those at the launching of a protection management system called Primero in Port Moresby last Friday that “there are gaps between policy and reality”. Timely access to quality care and protection is a fundamental right of women, girls and children who have experienced or are at risk of family violence,” he said.
“It is paramount that in seeking protection, survivor’s privacy, confidentiality is respected.”