Police arrest 50-year-old man for case of rape in 2018 at GPPOL-One

Police in Guadalcanal Province arrested a 50-year-old male on 7 January 2019 for the allegation of rape.

The arrest came about after police Aluta area in Malaita Province are urged to assist the PRT officers know the man was in Honiara since Christmas and New Year 2019 festivity.

It was alleged the suspect allegedly raped a 13-year-old female person on unknown date of the month of October in 2018 at Papangu Village in the Guadalcanal Plains Palm Oil Limited (GPPOL) one area.

“It was further alleged the suspect was married to the victim’s aunt, and that the suspect allegedly dragged the victim who was at a betel Nut stall selling betel-nut at the time, into a nearby bush and forcefully had sex with her,” said Supervising Commissioner Juanita Matanga of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) when she addressed local media representatives at Rove Police Headquarters.

She said, “The arrest of the man was an achievement for investigators from RSIPF officers in Guadalcanal Province, and at the same time demonstrated capability and dedication of the RSIPF to detect reported cases of crime, no matter how long it takes.”

“I appeal to any female person in the country who is a victim of any alleged sexually harassment incident to come forward and report to police. We must work together to get rid of any forms of sexual harassment in our society,” said Supervising Commissioner
Matanga.

She said that sexual harassment is a disease of the mind of a person, which drives a person to inflict unwanted sexual behavior to another person, that such act is against our Christian and cultural values, so is a crime in law.

The suspect was taken to the Honiara Central Magistrate Court on 9 January 2019 on a holding charge of rape, and the court remanded him in custody to appear in 14 days’ time.