The Waigani National Court has stopped a sex trial against a New Zealand man and his PNG partner after it was satisfied the state’s evidence was not enough to continue the trial.
Douglas Ross Crabb of Otahuhu, New Zealand, and Stella Teha Pia of Hula, Central Province, were both discharged of the allegations they raped a Joselyn Pakure in 2015.
Their lawyer moved a no case submission on May 18, asking the court to stop the trial halfway after the state closed its evidence in the trial.
The court upheld the no case submission last Friday and discharged the rape charge against them accordingly.
It was the State’s allegation that they engaged in sexual activities with Joselyn Pakure between August 1 and 2, 2015, at their home at Boroko after they invited her and other friends over for a gathering that night. Ross was alleged to have sexually penetrated Pakure.
It was alleged the victim did not consent to engage in sexual activities with the couple and she was raped while she was disoriented, after she was given alcohol by the two accused.
A formal report was made with police by Pakure a month after the alleged incident. Ross and Pia were arrested on November 5, 2015.
All those allegations were discharged by the court on May 26.
The court accepted that Pakure had consumed alcohol prior to arriving at the couple’s house at Boroko.
The court was of the view that her evidence was not enough because she did not give full details in her statement to assist police in their investigations simply because she was too drunk to remember how she ended up in the room she said she was raped in and that her evidence was hearsay.
She also kept communication with Pia and Ross via Facebook, Whatsapp and SMS between 4 and 7th August, 2015.