A recent story posted by Wilson Saeni in the Slomon Star gave news of the sad news about what had occurred to Mrs Sillia Geu from Kunu near Auki in Malaita.
Quoting the newspaper piece, Wilson said,
A mother of five is calling for support and urges police to act quickly in arresting the person who burnt down her dwelling house.
Sililia Geu’s dwelling house at Kunu near the Malaita Provincial capital, Auki, was burnt to ashes last month by a young man whilst she was away in Honiara.
Mrs. Geu told Solomon Star in an exclusive interview this week that she lost everything in the fire and became homeless as a result.
She said her 16-year-old daughter and another girl were at home when the man who appeared intoxicated went there on a Sunday night.
The man approached her daughter, asking her out but she refused his request.
Mrs. Geu said the man then threatened the two girls and when they left the house, he set the house on fire and in doing so, stated that it was the reward for turning down his request.
The two girls then escaped to the Christian Care Centre for their safety.
When they returned in the morning, the house was gone with all their belongings.
The man then escaped to his home in Lau-Mbaelelea Constituency to avoid police arrest.
After Mrs. Geu’s daughter alerted her mother about the incident, Mrs Geu returned to Auki and was heartbroken to see her house and all her belongings gone.
Since then, Mrs. Geu and her children took shelter at the Christian Care Centre as they have nowhere else to go.
Mrs. Geu told Solomon Star that the time permitted for them to stay at the Christian Care Centre is running out and that they have been instructed to move out anytime soon.
Being homeless and stressed, Mrs. Geu said her only wish is for the police to arrest the culprit to face justice and for any kind-hearted organisation or people to help her build a new dwelling house for her and her children.
When asked if anyone has lent her support after the loss of her home, Mrs. Geu said the Solomon Islands Red Cross in Auki has supported her with cups, plates and spoons.
In the meantime, Auki police are investigating the case and negotiating for the surrender of the suspect.
End of quote.
Comment
I hope the police have found and arrested the youth alleged to have committed the arson attack on Mrs. Geu’s home, but in a wider sense I concern myself about the trend by some youths to commit heinous crimes in today’s Solomon Islands, and I think in particular about the increasing trend of sexual crimes on women and girls, including rape and in one case even murder of a child.
I thank the Christian Care Centre for giving immediate shelter to Mrs Geu and her children and for the assistance she has received from the Solomon Islands Red Cross with some basic items of crockery,
The claim that Mrs. Geu has been told to move out of the Christian Care Centre is concerning to me and I presume the CCC that gave Mrs. Geu initial shelter is already full.
Please could I be told of the truth of the situation at the Christian Care Centre and whether the Centre could possibly be extended and if it can what the cost would be estimated to be to carry out any extension.
Also, please write and tell me if a new CCC is needed in AUKI and kindly tell me the cost of construction and fitting out such a new centre,
I will appeal for donor funding in both circumstances.
I hope wantoks of Mrs. Geu will help in seeing Mrs. Geu and her five children get a replacement home quickly.
Sincerely
Frank Short
