FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAE, MOROBE PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Landmark Decision Handed Down. Perpetrator Sentenced to 5 Years for Violation of The Glasman Act
James Mon, of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, was sentenced on March 12th to 5 years of imprisonment for violation of The Glassman Act. Mon was convicted of one count of Accusation of Sorcery based on section 520(E) of the Criminal Code Act, Amendment Act No. 14 2022 – The Glassman Act.
Mon’s conviction and sentencing is the first verified instance in Papua New Guinea that someone was sentenced based solely on an accusation of sorcery accusation related violence. James Mon was not present when Lorna Nicol, the mother of five he falsely accused, was brutally chopped up and killed based on a false accusation of sorcery.
Justice Polume Kiele entered the landmark decision making it clear that if a person makes an accusation of sorcery with results in the injury or death of another person, then the accuser can be sentenced to prison. The accuser does not need to actually participate in the physical harm of another and in fact, does not even need to be present when the victim is tortured and/or killed.
The Glassman Act was drafted by the Papua New Guinea Tribal Foundation, a Papua New Guinea NGO, in partnership with East Sepik Governor Allan Bird. This Act was presented to Parliament in 2022 by Governor Bird as a Private Member’s Bill and was passed unanimously.
This case, the conviction, and sentencing of James Mon, is one of 30 SARV cases currently before various courts across PNG that are being supported by the PNG Tribal Foundation (“Tribal”). Tribal has been funding and supporting this particular case since September of 2023. Thanks to international donors, to date Tribal Foundation has spent K91,458 on this particular case.
For the past ten years, the Tribal Foundation has been a leader in combatting sorcery accusation related violence (“SARV”). The support provided by the Tribal Foundation in SARV cases include:
- Protection and support for victims (and their families);
- Post mortem and medical records documentation and collation for the deceased;
- Transport, lodging, and operational costs for the police; and
- Providing legal support and file review by Tribal Foundation’s legal team.
There have been 7 successful SARV prosecutions supported by Tribal in the past two years. These convictions have been for murder and/or imposing grievous bodily harm. Within the next few weeks, the first case against a glassmeri/glassman is set for a decision. Mon was not a glasman, and one does not have to be a glasman or glasmeri to be charged under the provisions of the Act.
The Tribal Foundation would like to recognize Detective Senior Constable, Regina Patmo. Her professionalism, expertise, commitment to justice and involvement was one of the main factors that this case could have been prosecuted.
The founder and president of Tribal, GT Bustin stated, “I would like to thank Governor Bird for his leadership in this area. This case sends a clear message that anyone accusing someone of sorcery can be and will be successfully prosecuted.”
Tribal has supported the arrest of 86 SARV perpetrators in the last 16 months and is currently looking after more than 540 victims associated with these cases. GT thanked Tribal’s partners and donors who have helped make this win possible.
“We would not see this and other successes if it were not for our own donors. We have supported this case from A to Z with many challenges along the way.”
Contact
gtb@pngtribe.org or call 970-209-4008
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USA Office: 210 E. Main Street, Montrose, CO 81401 ∥ Ph: +1 970 2527488 Email: TribalUS@pngtribe.org
PNG Office: P. O. Box 335, Waterfront NCD128, Papua New Guinea ∥ Ph: +675 7925 8400 / +675 7559 2772 Email: TribalPNG@pngtribe.org
AUS Office: P. O. Box 511, Collins Street, West Melbourne, Victoria, 8007 ∥ Ph: +61 437 643 424 Email: TribalAU@pngtribe.org
F: +1 970 252 4008 ∥ Website: https://pngtribe.org
The PNG Tribal Foundation is a Papua New Guinea and internationally-based NGO that bridges hope to every day Papua New Guineans by developing great leaders, strategic partnerships and models that have lasting impact on their lives.
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