A senior Police Officer is currently being investigated by the Vanuatu Police Force (VPF)’s Professional Standard Unit (PSU) for his involvement in an alleged sexual harassment incident. The incident involved two female police...

Father kills family John Amos Pakoa had taken his family to the independence celebration in 2001. After returning home, Mr. Pakoa and his wife Helly went to drink kava and returned home just before morning. Soon after he stabbed...

A man from Tekelele in south Epi has been charged, after he allegedly stabbed his partner on the back of her head with a knife recently. Police on Tongoa released him on bail after charging him with intentional assault. He was...

Man being investigated for wife’s death denied bail Richard Harry was remanded on the 27th of December, 2021 after he was charged with intentional homicide, in which his wife was the victim. He applied for bail, stating that it...

A woman in South Santo who had an underlying condition and tested positive for COVID-19, died on Sunday. South Santo Area Two Council Administrator, Terry Daniel, said the SANMA Rural Health authority confirmed on Sunday that...

The Women Against Crime and Corruption (WACC) group has called for a Commission of Inquiry (COI) into whether some Members of Parliament are responsible for the current COVID-19 community transmission and the lockdown. The...

Being subject to sexual harassment is not part of one’s job description, sexual harassment should never be tolerated. The above was reaffirmed by Vanuatu Women’s Centre (VWC) Coordinator, Tatavola Matas. Ms Matas made the...

A mother of two has given away her one of her children, a 10-month-old baby girl named Caroline Peter, to Pikinini Playtime Business Manager, Tony Batten. According to Mr. Batten, the child suffers from a heart condition and the...

A 50-year-old man from Qeteon Village, South East of Gaua Island, is wanted by police after escaping from their custody. Harry Sandy has been a person of interest since June, 2021, the police media reported. Further information...

The Australian High Commission is inviting members of the public to nominate outstanding women for two awards to mark International Women’s Day 2022. Winners will be announced by the Australian High Commissioner in a ceremony on...

58-year-old entrepreneur jailed for rape Lisong Kallan Malsaye pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent. The maximum sentence is life imprisonment. The sentence starting point is 6 years’ imprisonment....

53-year-old John Nikahi has been sentenced to 7 years and 4 months’ imprisonment, after being found guilty for having sexual intercourse with his stepdaughter. This was the second time that the minor was abused by her...

A 26-year-old man who tricked a young girl and threatened her for sex with a knife on the night of Independence Day last year, has been given 9 years and 10 months’ imprisonment. The young man used the girl’s boyfriend phone and...

10 months’ imprisonment for possession of cannabis Simon Edmond Philip pleaded guilty to one charge of possession of dangerous drugs. The maximum sentence for this offence is a fine not exceeding VT100 million or 20 years’...

A quick thinking mother who was in a brake-failed public transport bus speeding down a steep Ohlen Hole slope, out of desperation, was reported to have thrown her young baby out the window who landed safely in the hands of a...

Since New Zealand deported a Vanuatu seasonal worker recently, questions have been raised on whether or not the seasonal employee should be given a second chance. Vanuatu’s Commissioner of Labour, Murielle Meltenoven, took a...

The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme Agent who recruited Byron Moli, the RSE worker who was recently deported from New Zealand, said she did not know he had a criminal record since his Police Clearance did not state it....

A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment, after pleading guilty to a charge of sexual intercourse without consent. Johnny Huri committed the offence when he was a bus driver last year. He drove the younger...

A former Commissioner of Police (COMPOL), Joshua Bong, has questioned certain decisions by the current COMPOL, Robson Iavro, over alleged conflict of interests and malpractices in certain police cases. Bong said there are...

A 23-year-old man has escaped jail after pleading guilty to intentional assault, threat to kill and two charges of domestic violence. In June this year, Thuram Malserake kicked his de facto partner and punched her on both sides...

A 25-year-old man from Nguna, Russel Tatangis, has been sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for unlawful sexual intercourse several times with a younger person. Tatangis committed these offences with the young person who came to...

The Supreme Court has sentenced a pastor from the Apostolic Destiny Church to 3 years and 6 months’ imprisonment, after he pleaded guilty to committing an act of indecency with two younger people from the same church....

Man rapes person living with disability Tom Ezekiel pleaded guilty to 1 count of act of indecency without consent and 2 counts of sexual intercourse without consent. He was convicted on his own plea and the admitted facts. The...

Police in Port Vila have arrested a suspect pending investigating into the fatal assault of a young mother at Blacksand area yesterday morning. The 20-year-old deceased from Pentecost is survived by her 3-month old baby,...

Man charged with indecency over 2-year period Ronie Vira was found guilty and convicted of 2 counts of sexual intercourse without consent and an act of indecency without consent. Sexual intercourse without consent has a maximum...

Married man rapes 8-year-old James Ngisa pleaded guilty to 3 counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and act of indecency with a young person. The maximum sentence for unlawful sexual intercourse is 14 years’ imprisonment. The...

Father jailed for raping wife and daughter Lenlen Leleny Ansen pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual intercourse without consent, and a charge of incest. The maximum sentence for all 3 charges is life imprisonment however 16...

A man was sentenced to 9 years and 6 months’ imprisonment for having sexual intercourse with his niece more than once, and for his act of indecency without consent. Ronnie Vira committed the offences against his niece when she...

31-year-old charged with cultivation and possession of cannabis Mali Bwibwi pleaded guilty to one count of cultivation of cannabis and one count of possession of cannabis. The maximum penalty for cultivation and possession of...

 Grandfather molests granddaughter Tembes Quara pleaded guilty to one charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a child under 13 years of age. The maximum sentence for this crime is life in prison; however, 6 years was adopted...

Police are investigating the death of a young woman found dead in her home at Tagabe Bridge in Port Vila. According to police, the young woman from Tongoa allegedly committed suicide following an argument with her de facto...

Father of 5 gets two years reduced for raping another woman Michael Selwyn pleaded guilty to sexual intercourse without consent. The collective maximum penalty for rape is life imprisonment, however, 6 years was adopted as the...

A man from Paama, Sahe Molu, who murdered his wife, Jelinda Arukesa, in July this year has been sent to prison for 11 years and six months. Molu was sentenced last week after pleading guilty to a charge of intentional homicide...

17-year-old rapes woman with disability The defendant, Sao Christopher, pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent to a 25-year-old single woman living with physical disability. He has been sentenced to 3...

A man that was accused by his partner for domestic violence against their baby son and her as well as other acts of immorality, has been found not guilty of all charges against him. The accused, Mr Chu Van, had faced three...

There has been an increase in domestic violence and sexual abuse cases. This increase is linked to the current COVID-19 crisis, the Family Protection Unit (FPU) of the Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) has conveyed in a statement. Of...

A probationary police officer allegedly walked into a school compound intoxicated with alcohol and severely beat a grade 11 girl until she was unconscious, allegations that police have denied. Gibson Tari, a school teacher on...

A 17-year-old girl has died after an alleged alcohol-related incident in East Santo. Consultant Surgeon of the Northern Provincial Hospital (NPH), Dr Basil Leodoro, confirmed that the girl died from serious injuries sustained...

A probationary police officer allegedly walked into a school compound intoxicated with alcohol and severely beat a grade 11 girl until she was unconscious, allegations that police have denied. Gibson Tari, a school teacher on...

The man that fatally stabbed a woman in March this year at Tassiriki area has been sentenced to serve 18 years in prison. Ernest Joseph pleaded guilty to one charge of premeditated intentional homicide. Joseph had accepted the...

The man that fatally stabbed a woman in March this year at Tassiriki area has been sentenced to serve 18 years in prison. Ernest Joseph pleaded guilty to one charge of premeditated intentional homicide. Joseph had accepted the...

The Leader of Opposition has called on the Public Prosecutor to appeal the sentence give to the Minister of Climate Change and to seek a sentence that will be more representative of how people expect leaders to be penalised for...

A man from Paama residing on Santo, Sahe Molu, wanted for the alleged murder of his partner, is still on the run since the incident early last week. In a statement issued yesterday, the Vanuatu Police Force (VPF) urged members...

A man from Emae in his 50s has been taken into police custody for allegedly forcing several secondary school girls to engage in sexual activities, since they were in primary school. He will be appearing before the Magistrate...

Councillor Yalu Sawia’s appeal in the Supreme Court against his conviction by the Magistrates’ Court has been dismissed. Mr Sawia had initially been convicted for breach of a Family Protection Order, contrary to section 21 of...

A young man who had a habit of displaying his private parts to women and girls, got a lesson which he would never forget after he was caught in the act, and was overpowered by male members of the public last week. An eyewitness...

A 25-year old from Mele involved in last Saturday’s fatal incident at Tagabe in Port Vila has been remanded pending police investigation. The suspect is a learner driver and has no valid driver’s licence, according to the...

The private sector must play a proactive role in leveling the playing field for women so they can fully participate in the economy amid the ongoing financial downturn caused by the pandemic, according to Liz Pechan, IFC’s...

A man from Epi has been arrested for allegedly committing incest with his daughter. Police at Rovo Bay said they received a report on the alleged incest several months ago but could not make the arrest due to resource...

A 63-year old man who admitted to have had unlawful sexual intercourse with his 6-year-old granddaughter has been sentenced to 4 years 9 months imprisonment. The court heard that around October 2020, the old man took his young...

A 24-year-old man who was angry at his two sisters for having children out of wedlock and burdening their widowed mother, has been convicted of arson after burning his sisters’ kitchen and clothes. The Defendant, Obed Simeon,...

A 36-year-old man has been sentenced by the Supreme Court to 4 years and 9 months’ imprisonment for committing incest. The complainant in the case was his adopted daughter. The offending occurred when the complainant was 19...

The Government is now working to establish the new Ministry of Fisheries, Oceans and Maritime Affairs following the Supreme Court decision that it complies with the provisions of the Government Act when doing so. Prime Minister...

A man was sentenced to 8 years and four months imprisonment for forcing his wife into bestiality on several occasions. These incidents happened over a period of six months in 2019. The man pleaded guilty to three charges of...

A mother was caught on camera allegedly using her child to steal on Monday at the Low Price shop. Avinesh from Low Price, says the incident happened on 17/05/2021 around 3pm at Low Price Freshwota 1 outlet. He says the lady used...

The original bride price total of VT80,000 is no longer recognised by the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, while it challenges each Island Council of Chiefs to promote its own bride price based on its customs. This is the current...

The Supreme Court has sentenced a 24-year-old man to 2 years and 8 months in prison for the death of his young partner on Ambrym. Mr. Yaltun Rexley pleaded guilty to a charge of intentional assault causing death. The defendant...

A senior officer of the Department of Correctional Services has received a suspended sentence, following his conviction on charges of Domestic Violence, Drunk and in Possession of a Firearm. Jask Carlo was sentenced to 5 months...

Member of Parliament (MP) for Malekula, Mr. Sanick Asang is currently facing criminal charges, contrary to the Criminal Procedure Code Act. It was alleged that he assaulted his wife on two separate occasions on two consecutive...

Members of the Vanuatu Police Force are investigating the death of an elderly woman aged 60 that was allegedly murdered, last weekend. The incident occurred last Sunday in the village of Toak Village in South-East Ambrym. Police...