Police probe killings of four children

From The National, Papua New Guinea’s leading daily newspaper

 

Father of murdered children faces questioning by cops

 

POLICE in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands province, are expanding their investigations into the killing of four children, allegedly by their own mother early last Saturday morning, in a village outside the city.

The mother, who surrendered to police and has been questioned while in custody over the last three days, faces wilful murder charges which carry the death penalty.

Police have not formally charged her yet, and are seeking to question others, including her husband.

Police said they had not picked up Anis Onda, the husband, and other people in the village for questioning because they were in a state of shock and mourning, and police were giving them time.

“We would like to question the father and other relatives; what they know about this shocking incident,” metropolitan commander Chief Insp Peter Roari said.

So far the woman has not said much, only blaming the husband for the action she took.

Internal Security Minister Sani Rambi, who was very disturbed after learning of the killings, took the unprecedented step of going to the police cells in Mt Hagen to talk to the woman.

He was seeking to find out for himself the reasons for the heinous crime, and not to assist police investigations, sources said.

Mr Rambi told The National the woman allegedly did what she did because she was fed up with the husband.

Reporters from The National visited the haus krai at Kuiya village, where the husband, Mr Onda, was in mourning with his family and relatives.

Mr Onda was shocked and could not say much, but tribal leaders called for the woman to be sentenced to death.

The shocking crime took place early last Saturday.

Police alleged that the mother took the four children out one by one, and killed them by drowning them in the Kum River.

Police alleged she made sure that all her children were dead before she surrendered to police and told them what she had done.

The bodies of the children – three girls and a boy aged between nine and three – had been recovered from the river and are at Mt Hagen General Hospital awaiting post-mortem examinations.

The news of their killing has shocked Papua New Guineans, and attracted widespread condemnation and calls for those responsible to face the death penalty.

Mr Onda and his wife are from the Hagen Central district in Western Highlands province.