London, October 06: A “DEMONIC” and “animalistic” Papua New Guinean man, who had trained to be a priest, has been sentenced to six years in jail for raping his daughter, who bore three children by him.
John Jack Pep, 49, from a village outside Mt Hagen in Western Highlands Province pleaded guilty and was sentenced for committing incest with his daughter between 2001 and 2007.
PNG’s newspaper The National today reported that the abuse began when Pep’s daughter was 21 and Pep was studying to become a church pastor at Pabrabuk Bible College.
Judge Regina Sagu said during sentencing last Friday that a tougher penalty should have been applied but an amended law meant the lesser penalty.
“(This was) animalistic action, driven by demonic force, breaking the normal parent-to-child trust that rightfully exists within a family unity,” she said.
Pep had forced his daughter to disguise the identities of their two girls and a boy in years of intimidation, physical and sexual abuse, the court heard.
In 2007, fellow villagers became suspicious and the woman revealed her ordeal to relatives and police.
—Agencies