A man has been arrested and charged with incest under Section 223 of the Criminal Code Act, (amended Act 27 of 2002), according to Central Provincial Police Commander, Senior Inspector Joseph Salle. The Central Police apprehended the suspect following a formal report lodged by the victim’s mother. The incident occurred on April 2nd and May 18th, 2024, between 10pm and 11pm at Amau village in the Abau District, Central Province. The 13-year-old victim revealed to her mother that she was allegedly sexually assaulted and penetrated by her uncle, her mother's brother, on ten separate occasions across Amau and Sapoa villages. PPC Salle praised the swift actions of his officers in apprehending the suspect and urged the community to report similar crimes to the police. He emphasized that incest is a serious crime under Papua New Guinea (PNG) law and commended the bravery of the victim in coming forward. “I take this opportunity to praise the courageous victim who reported the incident." "I also appeal to the people to report such unethical and immoral activities to the police.” “Having sexual intercourse with your blood relative is a crime, according to the PNG Law.” “Those perpetrators who take advantage of vulnerable people like disabled women and children must be reported and punished through our justice system”, PPC Salle said.