A PNGDF soldier was sentenced to 12 months in jail by the Tabubil District Court last week for assaulting a woman.
Corporal Laurence Kilya, aged 48, from Sepundis village of Wapenamanda District, Enga Province, was guilty for assaulting a woman by holding her breast and squeezing it three times.
According to a police brief, it was alleged that on Wednesday, November 16, the victim and the soldier were travelling on the same bus from Ningrum to Tabubil in Western Province.
At that time, Kilya was drinking alcohol in the PMV bus and allegedly assaulted the victim.
When the bus reached the security check point at Tabubil, all passengers were told to come out for security checks.
“It was alleged that when the victim wanted to move out of the bus, Kilya stood at the doorway and stopped her from coming out,” the brief stated.
“When her husband and the crew of the bus saw that, they went to him and told him to move and let the victim go but he refused.
“He then put his right hand on the lady`s breast and held onto it and squeezed it three times, which made the girl yell at him and push his hands away.”
The police brief said police officers on duty soon arrived and stopped him. However, when the officers told him to get into the police vehicle, he refused. They then had to use force to put him into the car and transport him to Tabubil Police Station, where he was detained.
“The next day when he was sober, he was formally arrested and charged for assault and resisting arrest. He was then released on bail.
“He appeared in court for only one count of assault and his other charge of resisting arrest is yet to be presented to the court,” said police.
“Kilya is now detained at Tabubil Police Station awaiting his warrant of commitment for him to be transported to Ningrum CIS to serve his term.”
The soldier is from the Charlie Company, now at Kiunga Forward Operation Base (FOB), providing security at the border.