Police arrest and charge a 47-yr-old male person for raping a 15-yr-old girl in Choiseul Province

Police in Taro, Choiseul Province have arrested and charged a 47-year-old male suspect for raping a 15 year-old girl.

The victim and defendant of this rape incident are related and they reside at the same village in Northwest Choiseul.

Supervising Police Commissioner Ms. Juanita Matanga during the Commissioner weekly conference said according to the initial report the incident occurred once in 2021 while his wife left home.

Supervising Police Commissioner Matanga said the victim was sleeping with the defendant’s daughter when the defendant went into the room and allegedly had sexual intercourse with his niece.

Ms. Matanga said the victim was afraid of the defendant so she did not report the matter until 17 August 2023 after the defendant assaulted her. She escaped to her grandfather’s place and reported the matter to Taro police.

She said police arrested the suspect on 11 September and charged him with two counts of sexual intercourse child under 15 years Contrary to Section 139 (1) (b) Penal Code (Amendment) (Sexual Offences) Act 2016.

The suspect was escorted to Gizo with a remand application and is now remanded at Gizo Correctional Centre to appear in court on a later date.