PNG leaders demand action following shocking video of woman mobbed by Unitech students on campus

Papua New Guinea is just 36 days away from celebrating its 50th Independence. However, a nationwide outcry has emerged after a woman was harassed by a mob of male students at the PNG University of Technology [PNG Unitech] in Lae, within the school’s campus.

The widespread disgust with many citizens expressing their anger and disappointment on social media platforms, demanding justice and accountability, got the attention of the country’s leaders, coming out to condemn this disappointing act by the students, after a video of the incident went viral on Saturday night, the night of the incident.

Addressing this issue, the Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Lae, John Rosso said, the matter has been raised with the Unitech Administration to deal with this incident.

“The police have also been asked to look into this matter. No woman or girl should be treated like that, especially from our Premier learning Institution. Our educated elites should be leading the way to respect women and girls in any environment,” Rosso said.

In a public post on Facebook, the Governor of East Sepik, Allan Bird made a call as the Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Gender Equity and Women’s Empowerment, for the University’s Council to identify the perpetrators and deal with this behavior by the students.

“On the eve of 50 years of Independence, I am disgusted by the behavior of young PNG men towards women at one of our Premiere Universities,” he stated.

A Press statement from the office of the school’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Ora Renagi titled, “Mob Behavior And Harassment in Viral Video Will Not Be Tolerated”, stated that the University’s Senior Executive Management Team [SEMT] strongly condemns the behavior and actions of the students captured in the video.

The statement also assured, that full investigations into this incident has been launched, and those identified will face disciplinary action and the law, because the University takes pride in its World-Class education, and expects its community to reflect those same high standards in conduct.

A separate statement from the school’s Students Representative Senate’s [SRS] office released yesterday, stated that investigation is already underway and all evidence and information have been submitted to the Student Services, to bring to the University’s Security Disciplinary Committee [USDC] and the police for charges and penalties to be laid on the culprits.

NBC News has verified with the Lae police Metropolitan Commander, Chief Superintendent Chris Kunyanban, that his officers are currently liaising with the school’s administration to thoroughly investigate this matter.

This incident is yet another reminder of the urgent need to address gender-based violence and respect for women in all spaces, including the country’s top educational institutions like Unitech, as the nation prepares to celebrate its 50th Independence Anniversary.