Police have urged a woman who is the subject of a widely shared social media post to formally lodge a complaint, following allegations that she and her infant child were mistreated by her husband, a police officer.
The appeal follows the circulation of images on social media showing a woman and a baby, reported online to be less than six months old, sleeping on cardboard at the NPF Plaza (Anthony Saru Building) in central Honiara.
The social media post claims the woman is married to a police officer attached to the Police Prosecution Department at Central Police Station.
According to the post, the woman and her child were allegedly forced out of their home on multiple occasions and left to sleep outdoors. It further claims that although the family’s usual residence is in Panatina, the woman and child spent the night at NPF Plaza, where security guards reportedly assisted them until morning.
Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mathias Lenialu, said the situation described online is concerning but stressed that police cannot act without a formal complaint.
“…this is really a sad situation that demands the wife to come forward and file a complaint with police so that police can investigate it properly.
He said once a complaint is filed, police will conduct inquiries to establish the facts and determine what action, if any, is required.
“….at this stage it is too early to make a conclusion on this matter. A proper investigation needs to be established for my office to make a decision.
Mr. Lenialu also cautioned against relying on social media to resolve domestic matters, noting that online commentary can further harm families involved.
“Bringing such matter to social media won’t help to deal with the issue. It will only bring negative comments on the family, which is not good,” he added.
The Acting Commissioner reaffirmed that the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) is a disciplined organisation guided by professional and ethical standards, and that any officer found to have acted unlawfully or unprofessionally would be dealt with in accordance with police regulations and the law.
“….the officer who works at the Police Prosecution Department of the Royal Solomon Island Police Force (RSIPF) with such actions is not speaking well as an officer of the crown.
“It was alleged that the officer kicked out his wife and a small newborn baby from their house, and they slept on the street. The latest incident was his wife sleeping with her small baby at NPF Plaza (Anthony Saru building),” the police chief said.
Police have again called on the woman, or any person with direct knowledge of the matter, to report the incident formally so it can be assessed through lawful processes.
