Police investigating a case of infanticide within RSIPF

By Alfred Sasako

AFTER five years of being buried under the carpet, police have finally confirmed it is investigating a case of infanticide or intentional killing of an infant within the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF).

Island Sun was told the incident occurred in 2013, when a female studying at the Police Academy allegedly became pregnant.

The circumstances surrounding the alleged killing are not known.

“The top echelon of the Academy has been aware of this case but they have decided to keep quiet about it,” sources told Island Sun.

It is unclear whether the woman graduated from the Academy.

Sources told Island the woman was never a commissioned officer, but she continues to draw her salary from the RSIPF payroll.

It is understood that unless you are a commissioned officer you are not eligible to be on the RSIPF payroll.

“You are either a commissioned officer, which qualifies you to be on the RSIPF Payroll or you are a public servant which means you will be paid as a public servant. You can never be both at the same time,” the sources told Island Sun on the weekend.

Island Sun was told the matter was never investigated despite the top echelon of the RSIPF being aware of the case.

The Commissioner of Police was kept in the dark about the case, perhaps until now, the sources said.

In response to questions raised by Island Sun, the RSIP Media Unit issued the following comments.

“The current Commissioner is aware of this historical allegation. However, this matter is alleged to have occurred over 5 years ago and it is important to emphasise that no criminal allegations have yet been proven or substantiated.

“The matter is presently under inquiry within RSIPF and for legal reasons it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time. “

Infanticide (or infant homicide) is the intentional killing of infants.

Parental infanticide researchers have found that mothers are far more likely than fathers to be the perpetrator for neonaticide and slightly more likely to commit infanticide in general.

Infanticide is a crime which carry less severe penalty than murder.

In English law for example infanticide is established as a distinct offence by the Infanticide Acts.

Defined as the killing of a child under 12 months of age by their mother, the effect of the Acts are to establish a partial defence to charges of murder.

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