A man from the Morobe Province, who is known as a spiritual healer, has plead guilty in the National Court to sexually assaulting a minor at their family home under the pretext of praying with her.
The girl was 13 years old when she was violated by the man. He used his fingers to sexually penetrate her twice on 13 September 2015.
The man pleaded guilty today. The court accepted his plea and his lawyer, and the state, went into making submissions on the appropriate penalty the court should impose on him.
The state submitted in court that be the nature of the act (sexual penetration), be it by finger or penile, a pastor who is seen as a spiritual healer violated a girl under the pretext of praying for her behind closed doors.
The state asked for a penalty sentence of between 7-9 years to be imposed on the man.
His lawyer, on the other hand, suggested a sentence of 7 years.
The court reserved its decision on the sentence and will hand that down soon.
The man was brought to Port Moresby in August 2015 by the family of the victim after they heard of his spiritual healing powers.
However, while he was accommodated by the victim’s family, he allegedly sexually penetrated the 13-year-old girl.