US woman speaks out about PNG gang-rape ordeal
Source: AFP |
April 22, 2013, Monday
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A US academic says she was gang-raped by an armed mob in Papua New Guinea and wants to publicize her ordeal to raise awareness about rampant violence against women in the desperately poor Pacific country.
The attack comes barely a week after an Australian was killed and his friend sexually assaulted by a group of men.
In the latest case, the white academic said that she was attacked on Friday while conducting research on birds and the impact of climate change in a remote forest on Karkar Island in Madang province.
Police in the capital Port Moresby yesterday confirmed the attack.
"We have taken statements but no arrests have been made yet," a spokesman said. "This is a very serious incident."
The 32-year-old was walking along a bush track with her husband and a guide when nine men armed with rifles and knives ambushed them, stripping the husband and guide naked and tying them up, she said.
They then stripped her, bound her hands, cut off her long plaited hair to the scalp at the back of the head, and gang-raped her for about 20 minutes. Something in the forest startled them and they ran away.
The guide managed to break free and the three of them fled naked back to the nearest village, several hours away, she said.
The husband and wife returned to Port Moresby on Saturday, where they were met by a photographer working for AFP who helped them file police reports and organize a flight out of the country.
The academic said she wanted to tell her story to shine a light on brutality against women ''in hopes that it empowers Papua New Guinean women to stand up and say no more violence against women in this country. I hope my story can make a change."
The attack comes barely a week after an Australian was killed and his friend sexually assaulted by a group of men.
In the latest case, the white academic said that she was attacked on Friday while conducting research on birds and the impact of climate change in a remote forest on Karkar Island in Madang province.
Police in the capital Port Moresby yesterday confirmed the attack.
"We have taken statements but no arrests have been made yet," a spokesman said. "This is a very serious incident."
The 32-year-old was walking along a bush track with her husband and a guide when nine men armed with rifles and knives ambushed them, stripping the husband and guide naked and tying them up, she said.
They then stripped her, bound her hands, cut off her long plaited hair to the scalp at the back of the head, and gang-raped her for about 20 minutes. Something in the forest startled them and they ran away.
The guide managed to break free and the three of them fled naked back to the nearest village, several hours away, she said.
The husband and wife returned to Port Moresby on Saturday, where they were met by a photographer working for AFP who helped them file police reports and organize a flight out of the country.
The academic said she wanted to tell her story to shine a light on brutality against women ''in hopes that it empowers Papua New Guinean women to stand up and say no more violence against women in this country. I hope my story can make a change."
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