A distraught father in Port Moresby wants urgent intervention from authorities after his teenage daughter became the latest victim of a disturbing wave of cyberbullying sweeping the country.
Kasis Inape, a concerned parent from the National Capital District, says he turned up at the Cyber Crime Office at 7-Mile Police Station yesterday morning to file a formal complaint—only to discover the stark reality facing law enforcement.
“I went to lodge my complaint, but the officer in charge told me cybercrime is on the rise and they simply don’t have the manpower or technical capacity to deal with the surge. Cybercrimes respect no one. Every one of us is vulnerable,” Inape said via his Facebook post.
According to Inape, his daughter attended her niece’s graduation ceremony at Sir John Guise Stadium last week when an unknown photographer snapped her picture without consent. The photo was later cropped, reposted online, and began circulating widely. The situation escalated when another individual allegedly edited the image to make it appear explicit—an act the father describes as “devastating and humiliating.”
“I am a disciplined parent. I don’t tolerate such behaviour for my daughters,” he said. “Someone took advantage of her image and violated her dignity. How can I track the person responsible and pursue justice under the Cyber Crimes Act?”
Inape said the officer he spoke to stressed that cyber-related offenses are occurring daily, yet the country still lacks a fully equipped unit to fight them. He is now calling on the Government to urgently establish a properly resourced cybercrime division, complete with trained personnel and modern digital investigative tools.
He believes Papua New Guinea can learn from partner countries like Australia through the existing AFP–PNG Police partnership, saying such cooperation could help build a robust and effective cybercrime enforcement framework.
“These crimes are growing faster than our ability to respond,” Inape warned. “Families like mine are being left helpless. We need a functional system—not tomorrow, but today.”
As the viral post continues to circulate, the father vows not to give up until justice is served and proper protections are put in place for all citizens, especially young women increasingly targeted online.
Leave a Reply