Shoplifter forced to pay with sex

Police in Papua New Guinea's Highlands' region are investigating claims a security guard forced a suspected 15-year-old female shoplifter to pay for her crime with sex.

The young girl told police on the weekend security guards working at the Rainbow Store in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province, suspected her of stealing.

The guards detained her in their office before one forced her to have sex with him.

PNG's Post-Courier newspaper reports the girl reluctantly gave in as she was scared.

After the girl was released she reported the matter to police who are now expected to make an arrest.

Meanwhile, an alleged Papua New Guinea rapist is on the run after making a quick dash when police misplaced the cell key to lock him up.

The man, wanted for rape and armed robbery, is on the loose in Madang Province on PNG's north east coast.

Simbu police in the Highlands region, had arrested him for a string of crimes in Simbu's capital Kundiawa.

PNG Post Courier reports police were busy looking for the Madang police station's cell key, which the cell guard had misplaced, when the alleged criminal made his run for freedom.

Australia, through AusAID programmes, has given about $A200 million ($NZ254 million) from 2003 to 2009 to increase the responsiveness of PNG's justice system at the national, provincial and community levels.

- AAP