A recent report titled “Still Making Their Own Rules: Ongoing Impunity for Police Beatings, Rape and Torture in Papua New Guinea” found out that police violence against children remains prevalent in the country despite recent juvenile reform efforts.  Human Rights Watch, an organisation committed to challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law, conducted a report which revealed that “police continue to routinely use excessive force, sexual violence, and torture against individuals in custody, including children. Most police who commit abuses face little or no penalty, either administratively or in a court of law.” 

According to Human Rights Watch, “Police routinely lock children up with adults, even when separate space is available, placing them at risk of rape and other forms of violence. Police rarely provide children with medical care, even when seriously injured.”

The report is a follow-up to the organisation’s 2005 report on police violence against children. It tracks developments in 2005 and 2006, and determines that abusive officials rarely face punishment.

Although the organisation found small signs of progress in the country's current juvenile system, these efforts have yet to produce demonstrable change in police treatment of children.

Serious problems still persist, said Human Rights Watch. Police officers continue to enjoy near-total impunity for violence. In addition, the abuses perpetuated by the police contribute to a rapidly escalating HIV/AIDS epidemic in Papua New Guinea. Factors contributing to this include
(1) sexual violence,
(2) fear of police that impedes the reporting of sexual violence and other crimes,
(3) prison conditions which may facilitate risk behaviors rather than provide information and the means for HIV prevention,
(4) harassment and abuse of sex workers and of boys and men who are perceived to be homosexual, and
(5) the harassment of HIV outreach workers and others carrying condoms.

Human Rights Watch calls on the government of Papua New Guinea, with the help of its international supporters, to do all it can to end the current situation. Cited in the report are the following recommendations:
1) The government should strengthen the internal affairs directorate of the police, penalise officers who do not cooperate with it, and investigate alleged abuses and delays in implementing dismissal orders.
2) The government should make greater and more creative efforts to improve the capacity of the Ombudsman Commission to address police violence.
3) The government should strengthen and expand the juvenile justice system throughout the country.
4) The government should improve access for victims of police violence to medical, legal, counseling, and other support services.
5) International donors should identify ways to support the above recommendations.

Sources:
“Papua New Guinea: Government Must End Continuing Police Brutality Against Children” from Reuters Foundation/Alert Net, posted on October 30, 2006, <http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/f27d47729ff1a9c66ef8c5f19aeba84a.htm>.
“Still Making Their Own Rules: Ongoing Impunity for Police Beatings, Rape and Torture in Papua New Guinea” from Human Rights Watch, <http://hrw.org/reports/2006/png1006/>.