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| 'He might track me down and kill me': fleeing domestic violence in PNG | 'He might track me down and kill me': fleeing domestic violence in PNG |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Tanya wants to get her son back so he can be tested for HIV. She tested positive and now takes daily antiretrovirals, but doesn’t know if her husband infected her before or after their son was born. Since she fled his alleged abuse her husband has refused to grant her custody or take their one-year-old child to the doctor. | Tanya wants to get her son back so he can be tested for HIV. She tested positive and now takes daily antiretrovirals, but doesn’t know if her husband infected her before or after their son was born. Since she fled his alleged abuse her husband has refused to grant her custody or take their one-year-old child to the doctor. |
| “I’m not ashamed of it,” says Tanya from inside her tiny room in a Papua New Guinea safe house. “I’m not afraid, if I want to tell the whole world I have this sickness. But it’s my son I’m worried about. He has to come out of that life, and he needs to be tested.” | “I’m not ashamed of it,” says Tanya from inside her tiny room in a Papua New Guinea safe house. “I’m not afraid, if I want to tell the whole world I have this sickness. But it’s my son I’m worried about. He has to come out of that life, and he needs to be tested.” |
| Tanya is 19. Her husband is in his late 40s and has many wives. He is, she says, the third man to sexually assault and abuse her during her short lifetime. | Tanya is 19. Her husband is in his late 40s and has many wives. He is, she says, the third man to sexually assault and abuse her during her short lifetime. |
| Related: Papua New Guinea risking lives with inaction on sexual violence, says MSF | |
| They met in Lae and she rebuffed his advances. But when they met again in Port Moresby, the capital, she was escaping a violent family member and she let him help her escape. He never allowed her to leave. | They met in Lae and she rebuffed his advances. But when they met again in Port Moresby, the capital, she was escaping a violent family member and she let him help her escape. He never allowed her to leave. |
| Two years later when she became pregnant he accused her of having an affair and began beating her. | Two years later when she became pregnant he accused her of having an affair and began beating her. |
| “He beats me up very badly even though he sees I’ve lost a lot of blood or have marks all over my body,” she says. “Still he hits me until I fall unconscious.” | “He beats me up very badly even though he sees I’ve lost a lot of blood or have marks all over my body,” she says. “Still he hits me until I fall unconscious.” |
| She eventually ran away to a couple whom she now considers her parents. They took her to hospital and to one of the country’s few family support centres, set up to assist the overwhelming number of family and sexual violence survivors. | She eventually ran away to a couple whom she now considers her parents. They took her to hospital and to one of the country’s few family support centres, set up to assist the overwhelming number of family and sexual violence survivors. |
| “[Once] he was drunk and he got a big stone and he wanted to kill me so my dad stopped him and was telling him: ‘You’re a big person – you need to stop this’,” she recounts. | “[Once] he was drunk and he got a big stone and he wanted to kill me so my dad stopped him and was telling him: ‘You’re a big person – you need to stop this’,” she recounts. |
| “He was continuously shouting and aggressive. Why did I run away, he said. I said, well if you gave me a good life … but it never happened. It just went the other direction. It’s like I’m a slave and sex worker at the same time.” | “He was continuously shouting and aggressive. Why did I run away, he said. I said, well if you gave me a good life … but it never happened. It just went the other direction. It’s like I’m a slave and sex worker at the same time.” |
| An extraordinary amount of resources have gone into protecting Tanya. The family support centre referred her to the Femili PNG case management centre, an organisation funded by private and international donors that coordinates with the police, courts, prosecutor’s office, healthcare workers, a government welfare officer, security companies and families to help survivors. | An extraordinary amount of resources have gone into protecting Tanya. The family support centre referred her to the Femili PNG case management centre, an organisation funded by private and international donors that coordinates with the police, courts, prosecutor’s office, healthcare workers, a government welfare officer, security companies and families to help survivors. |
| Related: Women seek islands of refuge in Papua New Guinea's sea of violence | Helen Davidson | |
| Tanya is a high risk case among more than 300 women Femili has helped since opening 18 months ago. | Tanya is a high risk case among more than 300 women Femili has helped since opening 18 months ago. |
| After Tanya escaped her husband he went to the police. He obtained a court order which forced her back to him as his wife, and prevented her parents from interfering. | After Tanya escaped her husband he went to the police. He obtained a court order which forced her back to him as his wife, and prevented her parents from interfering. |
| Tanya’s caseworker alerted the Lae police’s family and sexual violence unit (FSVU). While they sought to have the court order overturned a magistrate issued a warrant of commitment to her husband, which meant Tanya and her parents were jailed without charge. | Tanya’s caseworker alerted the Lae police’s family and sexual violence unit (FSVU). While they sought to have the court order overturned a magistrate issued a warrant of commitment to her husband, which meant Tanya and her parents were jailed without charge. |
| Her team raced to find another magistrate to overturn the warrant and free the trio. An FSVU officer pushed for an interim protection order against the husband to be fast-tracked due to the high risk nature of Tanya’s case. | Her team raced to find another magistrate to overturn the warrant and free the trio. An FSVU officer pushed for an interim protection order against the husband to be fast-tracked due to the high risk nature of Tanya’s case. |
| “It takes so long,” the officer says. “It’s beyond our control, we continue to tell our clients it’s like this, and we’re always telling them the same thing. Sometimes they just give up. Most of them just give up. Those who are really desperate stay.” | “It takes so long,” the officer says. “It’s beyond our control, we continue to tell our clients it’s like this, and we’re always telling them the same thing. Sometimes they just give up. Most of them just give up. Those who are really desperate stay.” |
| Tanya says: “The CID officers, lawyers, prosecutors, they were there running to and from [the court] to get us out of the jail. They did everything they could and finally we got out. | Tanya says: “The CID officers, lawyers, prosecutors, they were there running to and from [the court] to get us out of the jail. They did everything they could and finally we got out. |
| “Seeing how the partners worked together, it’s a lifesaving thing. It’s really helped me. If I was to do it on my own with my parents, without coming here, I might end up dead somewhere. He might track me down anywhere and kill me.” | “Seeing how the partners worked together, it’s a lifesaving thing. It’s really helped me. If I was to do it on my own with my parents, without coming here, I might end up dead somewhere. He might track me down anywhere and kill me.” |
| The focus now is keeping Tanya safe, and getting her child back. At the time the Guardian met Tanya police believed her husband was in Port Moresby, and were waiting with an arrest warrant for his return. | The focus now is keeping Tanya safe, and getting her child back. At the time the Guardian met Tanya police believed her husband was in Port Moresby, and were waiting with an arrest warrant for his return. |
| A few weeks later he came back to Lae and faced the court, which deferred the case. Tanya went home to her adoptive parents and siblings, safeguarded only by an interim protection order, and the threat to her husband’s reputation should he break it. He still has her son. | A few weeks later he came back to Lae and faced the court, which deferred the case. Tanya went home to her adoptive parents and siblings, safeguarded only by an interim protection order, and the threat to her husband’s reputation should he break it. He still has her son. |