THE home of a man suspected of stabbing a teenager last week was razed to the ground by members of a community determined to stop crime.
The home was at Papuan Compound’s Tais settlement in Lae, Morobe.
Community leaders and members stood and watched as the house went up in flames.
New ward three community magistrate Charles Laku said it was a step towards ending law and order problems in his community.
“We approached his (suspect’s) family in the morning and requested that he be handed over to police by 4pm. They failed to do that,” he said.
Nicky Bob, 17, from Eastern Highlands, was stabbed at a hockey field opposite Lae market in front of a crowd watching the Independence Day anniversary fireworks on Monday evening.
Nicky received knife wounds to his back and right arm. He was admitted at the Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae.
His dad Ishmael Bob said: “This is not the first time the suspect had done this. My son is the sixth victim.”
Laku said it should serve as a warning to others who were or thinking of causing trouble in the community.
“They must realise that we don’t have space for them in our community.
“We’ve got to get rid of the bad apples in the sack before we all get infected.”
A meeting is expected at Milfordhaven oval this Sunday to address the issue of illicit drugs and homebrew in the Timbunke community at the Papuan Compound