Young PNG mother died of ‘blunt force’ head injuries, bruised organs

By Rebecca Kuku in Port Moresby

Young Papua New Guinean mother-of-two Jenelyn Kennedy died from “head injury and bruised internal organs”, according to a doctor who examined her body.

Dr Seth Fose, the chief pathologist at the Port Moresby General Hospital, said the 19-year-old died from “blunt force trauma to the head and the body with a blunt instrument or object”.

Her body was left at the hospital by three men on Tuesday after she had undergone – alleged the babysitter who lived with her and her partner at a home at Korobosea – beatings for six days in a row.

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Port Moresby police have charged her partner Bhosip Kaiwi with wilful murder. He has been in custody at the Boroko police station since last week and he appeared in the Waigani District Court today.

Jenelyn Kennedy’s body was left at the hospital on Tuesday by three men who arrived in a vehicle.

Grandfather Kennedy Karava said Jenelyn, who turned 19 on March 18, had been through five years of torture which they had been reporting to police.

In 2015, when she was in grade seven at the Eki Vaki Primary School, Karava said Jenelyn ran away with Kaiwi. They reported the matter to police as she was underage. They had two children.

Two doctors summoned
Babysitter Racheal Ipang told of how Jenelyn had been beaten up for six straight days up to last Monday night when two doctors were summoned to treat her at home.

Ipang said after the doctors had left, she had heard Jenelyn being beaten again.

“Her screams stopped at around 3am [Tuesday]. I believe that was when she passed away.”

The postmortem report, however, stated that she had died about 2pm on Tuesday.

Ipang said another woman was brought into the house to be the “second wife”, but she ran away after being subjected to beatings too.

Kennedy family spokesman Thomas Opa said the family would not accept any form of compensation from whoever caused Jenelyn’s death. They would leave it up to the court to decide on the appropriate punishment.

Meanwhile, the National Doctors Association is investigating the involvement of two doctors who were called to the home at Korobosea to treat Jenelyn.

Association secretary Dr Sam Yockopua said: “They could be nurses or other cadres of health workers”.

“We are investigating that,” he said.

“And if found guilty, we can revoke membership and refer them to the Medical Board for further action.”

Remand warrant for Kaiwi
PNG Post-Courier reports that Bhosip Kaiwi, the prime suspect in the killing of Jenelyn Kennedy, has appeared briefly before the Waigani District Court today facing a willful murder charge.

About 100 people gathered outside the courthouse this morning to catch a glimpse of the man who had shocked the nation with his alleged crimes.

Magistrate Tracey Ganai, after reading the charges, issued a remand warrant for Kaiwi to be moved from his Boroko police station cell to Bomana jail until his second court appearance due on July 30.

Kaiwi allegedly tortured and killed Kennedy, the mother of his two children, at his house in Korobosea, a northeast suburb of the capital Port Moresby.

Rebecca Kuku is a senior journalist with The National newspaper.