By JULIA
DAIA BORE
A STUDENT,
who pleaded guilty to taking part in the bashing to death of a fellow student
two years ago, told the court yesterday he thought he was initiating the
deceased into his “cult group” and did not mean to kill him, The National reports.
The student
asked Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika for mercy, saying he wanted to continue
his schooling.
Salika
slammed authorities for allowing such practices to prevail.
He
described the practice of “generation system” as one of the many cases of the
government’s school system “falling apart” and “going back to the dark ages”.
“There is a
need for a big overhaul in our education system,” Salika told a packed Waigani
courtroom yesterday morning.
He said an
overhaul was needed to ensure discipline and order within schools.
“The
(education) system is falling apart; schools’ boards of governors do not seem
to care whether their schools have strict rules and guidelines for students to
follow.”
Salika
said: “There is no parental guidance of students; no parental discipline of
their children in homes. The system, everything has gone (backwards) to the
dark ages.”
Many
students from selected schools in the NCD were brought into court to see and
hear for themselves the consequences of being part of the “generation system”
or the cult of paitim bros, what could go wrong and the punishment that awaits.
The judge
was hearing the final submissions on sentence for a Grade 11 student in an NCD
school who had, two years ago, allegedly killed a Grade 6 student, aged about
12 or 13, while trying to initiate him into the “skelim bros” cult group.
The accused
student is a son of a policeman.
When asked
what he wished to say, the student pleaded “guilty” to the charge of one count
of manslaughter under section 302 of the Criminal Code Act.
The offence
was committed on Friday, April 27, 2007, between 10am and noon at Rainbow near
Gerehu.
Court
documents indicated that the accused was in the company of two others when the
killing occurred.
On that
day, the students had all skipped classes and were drinking homebrew. Afterwards,
they held the victim’s hands behind his back and took turns punching him on his
chest. The victim was knocked unconscious and, later, pronounced dead at the Port Moresby General Hospital .
Prosecution
lawyer Miglshi Giruakonda said cult practices were prevalent in high schools
and senior high schools throughout the country.
“These
psychological, demonic and satanic practices have compromised the future of our
elites.
“It is time
for all stakeholders to join forces and fight this evil that has taken over our
schools.”
Dick Korowa
Kipoi, counsel for the accused, asked for a wholly suspended sentence because
the accused was sorry for his actions.
A decision
on sentence is expected next Thursday.
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