Apart from reported minor incidents, it was mostly a peaceful Christmas Eve in the city of Port Moresby as residents celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
The National St John Ambulance in Port Moresby stated that while alcohol-fueled disputes remain a concern during the festive season, there was an overall reduction in serious violence across the city; however, the only significant incident occurred at around 4:00am this morning at East Boroko, where an elderly man, identified as Paul Raymond, and his wife were involved in a domestic dispute that resulted in head injuries.
According to the neighborhood watch members at the Nusa Street in East Boroko, both parties were intoxicated at the time of the incident. Emergency responders confirmed this, stating that the couple became involved in an argument that escalated into a physical confrontation on a public road. The victim was struck on the back of his head, while his wife also sustained injuries during the altercation.
Neighborhood Watch members had to intervene and prevented the situation from worsening before taking both individuals to the Boroko Police Station.
National St John Ambulance Officer, Daniel Afuti, who treated the injuries at Boroko Police Station, confirmed the injuries were minor and not life-threatening.
“The patient sustained a minor blunt trauma to the back of the head. He was conscious, stable, but intoxicated,” Afuti said.
Basic wound care was administered, and the patient was later handed over to police for further processing.
Earlier in the night, ambulance crews attended a 9:30pm callout at Talai South Side, where the area was reported to be calm, with no major incidents recorded.
A 12:45am callout from Taikone Iokea Community members assisted responders, and an adult female in her late 40s received medical attention.
A further call was attended at around 4:30am in the ATS area, marking another routine response during the early hours of Christmas morning.
St John Ambulance officers said the majority of cases attended across the city during the night were medical-related, including seizures and other illness-based emergencies, rather than serious acts of violence.
With operation “Iron Star” continuing to play a role in maintaining order during the festive period supported by police, emergency services, and neighborhood watch groups, festivity celebrations in Port Moresby city remains largely controlled and peaceful.
