Bail revoked for ‘video girl’ who allegedly molested toddler
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
Bail revoked for ‘video girl’ who allegedly molested toddler
PORT MORESBY: The Waigani committal court has revoked bail for a 17-year-old girl who allegedly filmed herself molesting a 15-month-old toddler.
Magistrate Paul Nii ordered the girl’s parents to
produce a medical or birth certificate to confirm her age on Thursday (Feb 24,
2022).
“Bail was revoked because the offence is not in the
interest of justice for the toddler,” he added.
Details of the court proceedings were published by The National:
Court revokes
teen’s bail
February 22, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
By CLARISSA MOI
THE Waigani committal court has revoked bail for a 17-year-old girl, who
allegedly molested a toddler, and detained her in Bomana prison and ordered her
parents to confirm her age in court on Thursday.
Magistrate Paul Nii ordered the girl’s parents to produce a medical or birth
certificate to confirm her age.
“Bail was revoked because the offence is not in the interest of justice for a 15-month-old
baby,” Magistrate Nii said.
The court questioned why bail was granted to the accused.
Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Chris Iga told the court that the information
on the police file stated that the accused was 17 years old and according to the
law, anyone under the age of 18 was considered a juvenile.
A defence lawyer from the Office of the Public Solicitor told the court that
bail was granted because she was a juvenile and that she was allegedly
assaulted verbally by a female police officer.
Magistrate Nii however said that bail was granted by police based on the
allegations and told the defence lawyer to file a proper bail application for
his client.
“There must be evidence like a medical report or a national identification
(NID) card to prove that she is a juvenile,” he said.
“Other than that, whatever that comes to this court will be treated as any
other matter, in this case – adult.
“The offence involving a minor, who is a 15-month-old baby does not warrant
bail.”
Police alleged that between last Oct 1 and 31, the girl identified as the
toddler’s aunt, was supposed to babysit the 15-month-old and her three other
siblings.
Instead, it was alleged that she sexually abused the victim when she was
13-months-old by producing a pornography video with the child.
According to police, the video was edited to a two-minute and 24 seconds clip
showing the accused undressing herself and sexually abusing the toddler.
The video had gone viral on social media for a couple of weeks and came to the
attention of the police on Jan 19.
On Jan 24 at around 5am, the victim and the girl’s family took the girl to
Sergeant Job Eremugo at the Family and Sexual Violence Office at the Boroko
Police Station.
The girl was interviewed, arrested and charged with one count each of sexual
touching and producing pornography video with a child.
The substantive matter was adjourned to Thursday.
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