SDA pastor denied bail for allegedly molesting five-year-old girl

News that matter in Papua New Guinea

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SDA pastor denied bail for allegedly molesting five-year-old girl

PORT MORESBY: A Seventh-Day Adventist pastor, charged with molesting a five-year-old girl in Port Moresby, was denied bail by a committal court in Waigani yesterday (Nov 2, 2022).

Magistrate Paul Puri Nii said due to the age gap between the girl and the pastor, the court would not allow bail.

“The victim is a minor and I will not entertain the bail application under medical grounds,” he added.

The court proceedings were reported by The National:

Bail denied for pastor accused of molesting minor

November 3, 2022The NationalMain Stories

Paul Puri Nii

By GEORGINA KOREI
A MAGISTRATE has refused to grant bail for a Seventh-Day Adventist pastor who allegedly sexually molested a five-year-old in Port Moresby.
Waigani Committal Court magistrate Paul Puri Nii said due to the age gap between the victim and the defendant, the court would not allow bail.
“The victim is a minor of five years and I will not entertain the bail application under medical grounds,” Magistrate Nii said.
Magistrate Nii said this when denying bail for Robin Havena, 56, from Kuana village, Henganofi in Eastern Highlands.
Police prosecutor Sgt Christian Iga objected to the bail request saying it was for the defendant’s safety that he stay in custody.
“The defendant was severely injured from the attacks by the victim’s relatives since they are neighbours so for his safety, he shall remain in custody and attend court,” Iga said.
Havena’s lawyer Kim Watakapura from the office of the Public Solicitors filed a bail application on medical grounds and tendered it to the court along with the two guarantors who were in court.
Watakapura said the reasons the bail application was because the defendant was old and was not in good health. She said Havena had not attended court on several occasions because he was partially deaf after being assaulted by the victim’s relatives.
“The reason for bail is for him to come out in the presence of his guarantors and his wife so he can seek medical treatment and come to court.”
Magistrate Nii denied the request for bail given that Havena lived close to his victim who was a minor.
Havena allegedly grabbed the victim and took her to his house at June Valley on May 1 where he assaulted her by penetrating the victim with his fingers.
The victim then told her mother what had happened the next day after falling sick.
The victim was taken to the hospital where an examination confirmed that she had been sexually assaulted.
The victim’s parents then reported the matter to the police at the Waigani Police Station.
Havena was arrested and charged with one count of sexual penetration and was detained.
The case returns for a substantive hearing on Monday (Nov 7).

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