Eighteen year old cuts off her father's head after he raped her

Protective ring: Villagers in the remote western highlands of Papua New Guinea say they will not let police talk to the 18 year old rape victim (file image)

A teenage girl chopped her father's head clean off with a bush knife after he raped her in their home in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Now residents of the village have formed a protective ring around the 18-year-old, refusing to hand her over to the police because they agreed her 'evil' father deserved to die.

A local church leader, Pastor Lucas Kumi from the village of Rang in the Western Highlands, said the entire community would refuse to allow the girl to be subjected to any official investigation.

'The people and leaders in our area went and saw the headless body of the father after the girl reported the incident to them and explained why she had killed her father,' said Pastor Kumi.

He told the Post Courier newspaper that the father, in his mid-40s, raped his daughter when they were alone in their house after the mother and two other children from the family went to visit relatives for the night.

'The father went to his daughter's room in the night and raped her repeatedly.

'The father wanted to rape his daughter again in the morning and that was when the young girl picked up the bush knife and chopped her father's head off,' said Pastor Kumi.

'We've all agreed that she is free to stay in the community because the father deserved to die.

'The daughter did what she did because of the trauma and the evil actions of her father, so that is why we have all agreed that she remains in the community.'

He said a ring of protection had been placed around the girl, who will be kept away from any official investigation.

'The community have also agreed not to conduct any formal burial service for the father.'

Crimes of rape, murder, suspected witch killings and prostitution are rife throughout Papua New Guinea and as a desperate attempt to stop the lawlessness the government recently re-introduced the death penalty for serious offences.