For two years, “Maria” (name withheld to protect her identity) lived with a nightmare that many women and children across the Autonomous Region of Bougainville face in silence.
The man who violently assaulted her in her own village was eventually arrested by police, tried, and sentenced. But for Maria, justice was short-lived.
Within months of his sentencing, her attacker walked out of the Bekut Correctional Service (CIS) facility on Buka Island, not because he served his time, but because the prison lacked basic perimeter security.
“When I heard he was seen walking freely in town, my heart stopped,” Maria told PC Online. “The court said I was safe, but the system failed me. Victims are living in constant fear while perpetrators treat prison like a holiday camp.”
Maria’s experience highlights a systemic breakdown across Bougainville, where a surge in sexual offences, particularly involving young girls and female minors, is colliding with an under-resourced justice framework.
Community leaders, victims’ advocates, and senior law enforcement officers are calling for immediate, sweeping reforms to police operations, sentencing laws, and detainment infrastructure.
Sexual assault remains one of the most underreported yet prevalent crimes across AROB’s North, Central, and South regions.
Local police officers face critical resource shortages, including a lack of functional vehicles, limited forensics capabilities, and delayed court processing times that often leave victims vulnerable to community intimidation.
Even when police successfully secure a conviction, the institutional weaknesses at Bekut CIS frequently undo their hard work.
Historically plagued by incomplete fencing, low staffing levels, and poor infrastructure, the facility has seen numerous inmates walk off the grounds, leaving victims terrified of retaliation.
Senior law enforcement figures have previously voiced frustration over the breakdown in detainee management, noting that a prison without walls destroys public confidence in the judicial process.
Victims like Maria and support groups are demanding that the ABG and National (PNG) Government work at strengthening existing legal frameworks to ensure perpetrators remain behind bars.
“Stricter bail conditions that will eliminate court bail for high-risk sexual offenders and repeat domestic violence perpetrators.
Also, enforcing harsher, non-parole minimum prison terms for violent sexual offences against women and juveniles. These are some immediate recommendations that can be looked at.
And specialised police units to help victims. Increase funding for Sexual Offence and Domestic Violence Units (SODVU) across all districts and constituencies, equipped with immediate response vehicles and trained female officers.
Crimes against women and girls must be prioritised if we are serious about addressing law and order problems in our society, ” said Maria.
While infrastructure upgrades, including new perimeter fencing and expanded dormitories, have recently begun at Bekut through joint funding from the ABG, PNG Correctional Services, and international partners, advocates stress that physical walls are only part of the solution.
Tighter custodial management, strict staff oversight, and zero tolerance for unauthorised inmate releases are vital to restore trust.
For survivors like Maria, reform cannot come fast enough.
“I don’t want another girl to hide in her house because the police couldn’t catch her attacker, or because the prison couldn’t keep him inside,” Maria said.
“We need real laws, strong police, and a jail that actually locks the door.”
