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Survivor’s Courageous Account Exposes Severe Abuse and Coercion by A CFC Leader – Call for Investigation in Western Province
A courageous survivor has come forward with her harrowing experience of abuse and coercion by a leader of CFC, raising critical questions about the group’s activities and practices. Her account, along with observations from a security guard affiliated with the group, highlights the need for an investigation into the organization in the Western Province. This article follows an earlier call for an investigation into the Group in the Western Province.
Warning: The following account contains graphic details of abuse and may be distressing to some readers.
Disclaimer: The accounts presented in this article are shared by concerned individuals who wish to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the information.
My story began in early 2010 when I was working as a Medical Recorder-Clerk at the National Referral Hospital under the Ministry of Health. My life took an unexpected turn after I came into contact with Igan’s youngest son, who was 16 years old at the time, while I was 22. Due to his persistent phone calls, I took one week of unpaid leave and traveled to see him in the province. This decision dramatically altered my life.
Earlier that year, my supervisor had informed me that I had been selected to pursue further studies in Australia. However, this opportunity was derailed when I boarded a flight from Honiara to Munda. Upon arriving in Munda, we spent the night in Kindu, as I had originally planned to visit my mother in another village. However, my plans changed when I was persuaded to go to his village, Euclipta. He purchased 50 liters of petrol and instructed my uncle to use his OBM (outboard motor) to transport me to Euclipta. Upon arrival, he directed my uncle to wait at the bay entry point until it was dark to ensure that my arrival went unnoticed.
When I arrived in Euclipta, I informed him that I intended to stay for only three days before returning to Honiara to continue my job. However, he insisted that I stay with him, promising to provide for my needs and support my parents. He made it clear that I would not be returning to Honiara. For nearly two months, he confined me to a room and did not allow me to go outside, even to use the restroom. He provided a 5-liter container inside the room and told me to use it as a toilet. He restricted my movement because he was still in Form 2 and did not want his classmates or schoolmates to know he was living with me. Our house was situated next to the boys’ and girls’ dormitories. I felt increasingly uncomfortable and questioned why he continued to hide me from his family and peers. I advised him to focus on completing his high school education before considering marriage and mentioned that his age (16) made him too young to live with a woman. Despite this, he told me, “You are here to stay with me, and you should forget about your job! I will provide whatever you need, for you or your parents.”
I expressed discomfort with the restrictions on my movement and lack of freedom. He assured me he would introduce me to his father. I recall that he first called his elder brother, informing him that I was staying with him. His brother instructed him to inform a third person and introduce me. The following day, he took me to a hilltop where a blue tent was set up and introduced me to this individual. Initially, he insisted that I introduce myself, but I was too nervous, so he introduced me on my behalf. He said, “This is my wife, and I have decided to marry her. She will be living with me.” The initial reaction from the person was laughter, followed by the question, “Do you want to continue school or marry her?” He responded that he would continue his education while I would be living with him. The person agreed, saying, “It’s okay! You can take her and stay with her at your place.”
We stayed at the residence, where he began to threaten me whenever I did not meet his demands. I recall that whenever he wanted sex and I did not respond promptly, he would use a small axe to beat me with the handle. He threatened to kill me if I did not obey his commands. Whenever he beat me, I would call his elder brother and ask him to persuade him to let me return to my family due to his continuous abusive and violent behavior. He often used the axe handle to strike my head if he saw me using the phone. After a year, someone contacted a relative in the village to see if he could speak with me, but I was cautious because he had warned me not to speak to this person. On one occasion, he smashed my phone after noticing numerous missed calls from his elder brother.
A former MP sent a group of policemen to Euclipta Village to remove me from the situation due to the continuous inhumane treatment. However, upon their arrival, the villagers falsely informed them that I no longer resided in Euclipta, leading the police to leave without taking action. During this period, I lived in a home marked by frequent arguments and domestic violence. Despite my repeated attempts to contact his family and request to return to my own, my pleas were ignored. Even my own uncle, who was married to a teacher in Euclipta, encouraged me to stay with him.
The former MP again contacted his relatives in Euclipta, asking them to bring a phone so he could speak with me. However, I was not allowed to talk to him or return to my family. The former MP also reached out to his nephew and a cousin, instructing them to tell him to allow me to go back to my family and continue my studies. Instead, he ordered students from the local high school to accompany us into the rainforest mountains and stay with us. These students were tasked with bringing food from a neighboring village and had to climb up the mountain daily to deliver it. We remained in the mountains for an entire week to avoid detection by the police sent by the former MP. This situation led to significant conflict between the sons of the man I was with and the former MP, marking the beginning of a notable dispute between the two groups.
In 2014, we experienced one of the most severe conflicts of our relationship. After being away from the house for two days, he returned early in the morning. He forcibly removed me from the bed, restrained me to a chair, and struck me on the head with an axe handle. He repeatedly kicked my abdomen with a safety shoe until I fell from the chair. He lifted me again, restraining my hands and legs to the chair, and threatened me with a pistol, indicating that it might be my last day. Despite my pleas to return to my family and for someone to see the situation, he continued to abuse me. He also struck me with the pistol, causing additional injury to my head. He transported me in his vehicle, tying me behind the truck, and drove at high speed, threatening to take me to a different location. I attempted to escape by jumping out of the truck, but he stopped, retrieved me, and brought me to his family. There, he placed a knife at my neck and made threats, leaving me in a severely weakened state. His mother found me in a critical condition, unable to speak, and applied some water to help. Eventually, she arranged for a specialist from Marovo to provide treatment with traditional remedies, which was the only effective help at that time.
I recall that he frequently instructed his associates to bring a generator and accompany him to the river at night, where we would spend nearly four hours. Despite my complaints about the cold, he insisted that I bathe him. During these sessions, I would use up to four shampoos and spend an additional four hours applying lotion and oil to him, while he directed me to carefully brush his hair. If I failed to meet his expectations, he would often respond with physical aggression. I lived under these conditions for five years, from 2010 to 2015. The continuous mistreatment led me to seek escape. The persistent calls from my family also played a crucial role in my decision to leave.
In early 2015, I informed him about an opportunity to study at SINU. He instructed me to notify his elder brother before leaving Euclipta. I followed his instructions, and after discussing my situation with his elder brother, I expressed my desire to return to Honiara to continue my education and my exhaustion from the abusive treatment. Ultimately, his elder brother agreed to my request, stating that I could go on to continue with my education. The following day, he instructed his associates to drop me off at Ramata to catch a flight via Munda to Honiara. Upon arriving in Honiara, I enrolled in a Diploma program. Despite this, he continued to call me frequently and directed his associates in Honiara to closely monitor my movements. He would also send cash envelopes to his associates, which were handed to me. These envelopes consistently contained a substantial amount of money, intended to persuade and influence me to remain loyal to him.
As time passed, I began considering ways to escape from him. My first step was to change my SIM card, but he still managed to have his associates track me down and request my new number. In 2018, I decided to have a child as a means to deter him from contacting me. Later that year, I gave birth to my first son and graduated from my program. In 2019, I secured a job at a company in the western province, where I worked until early this year when I resigned due to health reasons. I now reside with my family and am seeking employment that accommodates my health condition to support my two children, as their father does not provide for their educational needs. He continued to contact my parents, asking if I could return to stay with him. To deter him further, I had another child. When he inquired about me, I instructed my parents to inform him that I was no longer a young woman but a mother of two children from different fathers. Since then, he has stopped contacting my parents. Today, he has forcibly taken one of the young daughters of a prominent individual and is living with her.
These are also additional encounters by a local security guard in 2021
Incident 1:
He reported witnessing severe abuse including a girl from another village who was bitten by dogs as punishment for alleged adultery. The use of dogs for punishment was part of a broader pattern of abusive practices. The security guard also mentioned plans to use crocodiles as a form of intimidation.
Incident 2:
The security guard also reported a distressing case from 2021 involving a young woman of mixed heritage who was allegedly murdered by a leader from the group for refusing his advances. This incident highlights a pattern of extreme violence against those who disobey their rules.
Incident 3 – Illegal Firearms Possession:
The security guard revealed that leaders from the group possess illegal firearms, which breaches national laws. He and others received training on handling and assembling guns, purportedly in preparation for forming a militia. The firearms were reportedly obtained from another region and transported to the village through clandestine operations.
Health Risks – Witchcraft and Magic:
There are reports of health risks associated with practices involving witchcraft and magic. Individuals, including children, were made to smoke special cigarettes blessed by leaders and consume the butts. Additionally, there were claims of using oils or waters for healing, rumored to be made from human remains. These practices may be linked to rising health issues and deaths in the village.
Financing the Movement:
The lifestyle of the leaders is reportedly financed through fundraising efforts by villagers. Villages are assigned monthly fundraising targets, with varying amounts required from different areas. There are also rumors of taxpayer money being used to fund these activities through political leaders.
Disclaimer: The alleged actions of the leader(s) accused in this article does not necessarily reflect the whole of CFC as a group.
