Sexual assault

Acting Judge David Susame convicted the man in Kokopo recently after a trial.

The incident took place when the girl was 15 years old. The man was the biological brother of the girl’s grandfather and was living with the family.

The court was told at 4 in the afternoon, on 30th June 2011, the accused met the girl outside of Anderson’s Supermarket where she was waiting to catch a PMV to Gelegele.

The man was 60 years old on 26 June 2016 when he sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl in Lae, Morobe Province.

He committed the act in the kitchen of his family home.

He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual penetration at the Lae National Court and was sentenced to 10 years in hard labour.

Five years of that sentence were suspended due to his age.

He was on bail prior to being sentenced by the court. That bail was forfeited and he will now serve a remaining balance of five years in jail.

The disgraced long-time team doctor, Larry Nassar, apologised to his victims on Wednesday ahead of his sentencing for molesting young female gymnasts but a judge dismissed his words as insincere.

Following days of testimony from more than 160 of his victims, Nassar stood before the court in a dark blue jailhouse jumpsuit and addressed the dozens of women in the Michigan courtroom.

"Your words have had a significant emotional effect to myself and shaken me to my core ... an acceptable apology to all of you is impossible to write or say," he said.

The 47‑year‑old was sentenced in the Auckland District Court today.

In September last year, he pleaded guilty to six charges of indecent assault against six women in his acting classes.

Seventeen other charges were dropped including indecent assault and unlawful sexual connection.

His lawyer Ron Mansfield said the more serious charges had been dropped.

Judge Ronayne said Naufahu minimised his offending and shifted responsibility.

A senior magistrate at the Waigani Committal Court, Cosmas Bidar raised the concern when arraigning a 20 year old youth who was recently arrested over the persistent sexual assault of a 6 year-old.

He said something is wrong in society and cases of such nature are becoming prevalent and the courts are seeing them every day.

He made this comments after reading the charges against a youth from Mul Buyer area in the Western Highlands Province.

Justice Martin Ipang, in giving his verdict, said the medical report provided in court proved beyond reasonable doubt he committed the offence.

The child victim gave evidence in court, identifying the man and demonstrated what he did to her on 18 September 2015 in the family home in Port Moresby.

However, he had an alibi, saying he had friends over that day - listening to music, telling stories and cooking and could not have possibly assaulted the girl.

In most cases, it’s the breach of trust between known persons who perpetrate such crimes against children.

A man from East Sepik Province admitted before the Waigani National Court on Monday to sexually touching his niece at the family home in Port Moresby.

The 28-year-old was sentenced to six years in prison today.

He admitted to two counts of sexually touching his six-year-old niece in June of 2015. He is the first cousin of the victim’s father.

Stealthing is a term given to the act of removing a condom in the middle of sex, without asking your partner's permission.

A recent report from the US suggests that cases are on the rise, and that it is a hugely under-reported issue.

Twenty-two-year-old Louise (not her real name) has been telling Newsbeat it happened to her.

I thought 'that's me'

The man, who is a pastor based in Morobe, will spend 8 years, four months, two weeks and 3 days at Bomana after the Waigani National Court deducted time spent in custody (1 year, 7 months) from the head sentence of 10 years.

The court also ordered for his repatriation to Morobe after the completion of his term.

Justice Panuel Mogish, in handing down his sentence, said pastors of churches hold sacred role in society where people place a high level of trust on them.

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.