Woman Barrister Raped In N. Guinea

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30445, 20 May 1964, Page 18

Woman Barrister Raped In N. Guinea

(tj-Z.P.A-Reuter—Copurioht) PORT MORESBY, May 19. Big squads of police are combing Port Moresby’s underworld haunts for the rapists of a 29-year-old Queensland woman.

They picked up one native yesterday but released him after several hours of intensive questioning. The woman had identified the man as one she saw hiding near a plane shortly after two natives raped her in daylight at Jackson’s airstrip on Saturday. She told police he had scurried behind an American bomber as she staggered back to the terminal. She identified him in a line-up organised by police, but said he was not one of the men who attacked her.

The man told police he saw two natives sprinting away from the airfield after the woman was assaulted. But he did not follow them, and did not know who they were; • Not Seen ’ ■

An investigating officer said today they were puzzled that no one saw the attack on the woman. The woman told police her assailants sprang at her in long grass on the perimeter of the strip. They hurled her into a wartime plane loading bay, and each raped her, she said. They first beat her about the face and broke several of her teeth.

The victim, a barrister admitted to the Papua-New Guinea bar only a month ago, is still recovering from her ordeal. She has been in the territory only six weeks. The woman was waiting at the airport with other Crown law officers to greet the Chief Justice (Sir Alan Mann), on

his return from a circuit in the country districts; She wandered away from the group to look at American bombers at the eastern end of the airstrip.