Four male student suspects apprehended after attack on Nawae secondary school girls
Morobe Provincial Police Commander, Superintendent Jacob Singura, has confirmed that four male suspects have been apprehended in relation to recent attack on female students at Nawae Secondary School.
The disturbing incident occurred last Thursday, when a group of men entered the girls' dormitory. The four suspects were formally arrested and charged yesterday.
Superintendent Singura told NBC News that all four are students. However, it is yet to be confirmed whether they are from Nawae secondary or another school.
"There were about eight of them which includes students. Right now as we speak, four of them have been apprehended and are being formally arrested and charged," PPC Singura said.
"We should know the full details and what grades they are in by after they are questioned."
Police investigations are ongoing. According to Nawae secondary school principal Besi Simongi, local communities have expressed outrage over the attack and are actively cooperating with police to locate the remaining suspects.
"We ourselves arrested one of the suspects when we were at the Angau Outpatient. He had to be brought in because our boys got him and he was also losing blood," Simongi told NBC News.
"We were all able to identify him and handed him over to the police."
He said Morobe governor Luther Wenge visited the school yesterday morning and provided logistical support to community leaders to assist in locating the remaining suspects.
Classes resume after temporary suspension
Meanwhile, classes have resumed following a temporary suspension after the violent attack on female students.
Principal Simongi clarified that the school was not responsible for the incident, which he described as a criminal act committed by outsiders.
“We didn’t go out and create problems for the community, they came and robbed our students of their learning. We are already at the end of the school term now so we have resumed classes,” he said.
The head teacher confirmed that Grade 10 students successfully completed their Written Expression Exam earlier that day [Thursday, 5th June] before the attack occurred later that night.
“We have recalled classes and all we are asking now from the police and the community, is to identify and bring the culprits in to face justice for the act that they’ve committed,” Simongi said.
“All classes will be normal from here on and the students will sit for their exams when the time comes.”
Simongi also provided an update on the injured students. Of the nine admitted to Angau Memorial General Hospital, two remain in critical condition. The remaining seven [five girls and two boys] were discharged yesterday after receiving stitches and undergoing thorough medical examinations.