A/HRC/16/52/Add.5
main cell block, together with adults. On 15 April, Mr. Mera was scheduled to be seen by a
judge and transferred to the court house in Waigani. Despite spending several hours at the
court’s holding cell, his case was not heard since the necessary documents had not yet been
processed. From the court house Mr. Mera was transferred to the Juvenile Section of
Bomana Prison where he has been held since. Mr. Mera did not have any form of legal aid.
Upon arrival at Bomana prison, officers at the main gate took Mr. Mera’s necklace. Mr.
Mera reported that Thursday mornings a member of YWCA visited the juvenile section and
provided language and literature classes, which Mr. Mera described as helpful since many
juvenile detainees were illiterate. Various sports are practiced every Friday on a meadow
outside the juvenile section. During weekends, detainees could watch TV for approximately
three hours. Despite these activities, detainees spent most of their time without any
meaningful activity. A library offers a small collection of books; however, since most
detainees are illiterate it is of little use to them. Some detainees received wool from their
families, with which they produce bilums (traditional bags). Juvenile detainees are locked
up in their dormitory from 4pm to 8am. During the day they could move freely within the
juvenile section and also talk to the convicted juvenile detainees. Meals were served three
times per day. Visits are allowed on Saturdays (for remandees) and Sundays (for convicted
detainees) and last for no longer than 30 minutes. The toilet was clogged and juveniles who
violate any of the rules were sent to the MSI for solitary confinement as a punishment.
Gerega Bomai, aged 18, was arrested on 1 January 2009 in the morning in Port Moresby.
While being taken out of his home by eight police officers (including three officers of the
Special Force Southern Command), he was beaten with a fan belt and kicked, as a way to
“rough him up for the transfer”. He was subsequently transferred to Boroko Police Station.
During the transport the ill-treatment continued. At Boroko Police Station he was held in
the main cell block, where he reported not to have experienced any physical abuse. Mr.
Bomai arrived at the Juvenile Section of Bomana Prison on 17 January 2009. His case is
currently pending before a national court and he has been represented by a lawyer.
B.F., aged 16, was arrested on 28 December 2009 at a bus stop in Koki, a suburb of Port
Moresby. From there he was taken to his house in Two-Mile in order to identify friends
who were alleged to have been involved in a crime. Upon arrival with the police, his friends
fled. He was subsequently taken to Boroko Police Station where he was held in the main
cell block, together with adult detainees. He reported that he had not experienced any
violence during his stay there. The next day, on 29 December, he was taken before the
Juvenile Court in Boroko where he was charged and reportedly sentenced immediately on
the basis of a witness testimony. Regarding the detention at the Juvenile Section at
Bomana, he did not raise any allegations of ill-treatment. However, he voiced complaints
about the poor quality of food and the lack of soap and other toiletries.
J.S., aged 19, had been held at Bomana for one-and-a-half years. He had been arrested
together with ten other people, and seven of them were still in detention. He had been taken
to Gordon’s Police Station and later transferred to Boroko, where he was held for two
months with adults, without seeing a magistrate. At Boroko, he was threatened by CID
officers during the interrogation, but no violence was used. He complained about frequent
beatings with wooden sticks if the officers were angry.
Aru John, aged 18, had been held at Bomana for one year. Previously, he had been held at
Boroko for one month and transferred to Bomana. He indicated that the officers used
wooden sticks to beat them if there was a fight. He wished he could go to school.
Jorris Alfonse, aged 20, had been arrested on 29 March 2010. He was held at Doa
Plantation, Three-Mile, Six-Mile, Waigani and Boroko Police Stations. He had missed a
court hearing due to the lack of transportation. His family was trying to find him a lawyer.
He was held in the juvenile section because the correctional officers believed he was a
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