The head of a women’s development agency in Bougainville, Helen Hakena, hopes arrests that have been made in relation to the Rabaul Queen sinking 18 months ago, will deter other ship owners from unsafe practices.
At least 162 lives were lost off Papua New Guinea’s Morobe coast - many of the victims were from Bougainville.
On Wednesday the owner of the shipping company Peter Sharp was charged with 162 counts of manslaughter and one for taking an unseaworthy ship to sea.
The captain has been charged with the same offences while two others - a Maritime Safety official and the company’s port manager in Kimbe have been charged with manslaughter.
Helen Hakena says passenger ferries are still being overloaded.
“It’s really good that this has happened to Peter Sharp so other ships’ owners can also remember that people will not tolerate their actions because most of the ships that come within our islands here they are always overloaded with not enough lifejackets for all the passengers who are on board so this will be a very big thing for all the ships’ owners to see the example which is being done now.”
The head of a women’s development agency in Bougainville, Helen Hakena.
RNZI