26 Apr 2013

PNG considers death penalty for serious violence cases

11:08 am on 26 April 2013

The Attorney-General of Papua New Guinea has confirmed that the death penalty will be implemented in cases of rape and sorcery-related violence.

PNG Village reports Kerenga Kua, who is also the Justice Minister, has received written petitions from around the world calling for the death penalty as crimes against women gain more publicity.

He says the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission has completed a study on sorcery and made recommendations to repeal the Sorcery Act.

Mr Kua says the Sorcery Act has been used to mitigate barbaric and horrendous sorcery-related crimes and also prevented the courts from dealing with these crimes properly.