By Scott Waide – EM TV News, Lae
There is grief in Lae tonight after police recovered the body of a seven-year-old boy who was killed and hidden in bush land in the outskirts of the East Taraka suburb.
Police tracked down the location after the suspect, in his 20’s admitted to the killing and told police where he left the boy’s body.
Police were led to the edge of the East Taraka suburb. On the banks of the Bumbu River and in thick bush land, the naked body of the seven year old was found.
He had been suffocated with his underwear and shirt and stabbed in his belly.
Relatives who had searched yesterday and today arrived at the scene with police to identify the body.
The boy had gone to the Bumbu river with his friends. An eye witness said the boy was lured away by the suspect at around midday yesterday.
The suspect, who is known to the boy and his family, told him his mother wanted him to go home.
When he didn’t return, his father and other family members went searching for him.
This afternoon, when the boy’s body was recovered, Police went to the boy’s father and relatives and explained that a post mortem had to be conducted before he was handed over to them.
It is understood the suspect had been drinking for last four days. He was found and then handed over to police.
After hours of questioning he told police where he had hidden the body.
There is a lot of frustration in the community and amongst police officers who attended to the crime scene.
Off camera, they expressed that tougher penalties including longer jail terms and higher fines should be imposed to clamp down on the production of illegal alcohol.
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