Warning - this article contains distressing images
A photograph of a wire-catapult which Papua New Guinea police say is now being used in the Highlands as well. Photo: PNG Police
A governor in Papua New Guinea wants wire katapel - catapults used to fire barbed spears - declared illegal following recent attacks.
The Governor of East Sepik Province Allan Byrd spoke recently of an escalation in the use of the weapon and the deaths and injuries that are resulting.
Byrd said in one district in his province during October there had been 256 attacks and eight deaths, with hundreds traumatised.
RNZ Pacific's PNG correspondent Scott Waide said both the police and communities are calling for something to be done about the weapon which, he said, has proliferated in PNG over the past 10 years.
"And it poses various challenges for police, the residents, and it's a big, big burden on trauma units at our major hospitals. And, especially in the rural areas when somebody is injured by one of these things it is really difficult to get them out and get them to the hospital, and a lot of them die on the way," Waide said.
Byrd has said he wants to see changes to legislation to make it illegal to make, own or use a katapel.
Warning - distressing image
The use of catapults to fire barbed spears is increasing in PNG Photo: Supplied