Porirua Woman Partially Severs Husband’s Penis in Attempt to End Infidelity

In the early hours of a recent morning, a woman in Porirua retrieved a kitchen knife, returned to the bedroom, and used it to partially sever her husband’s penis while he slept. The victim awoke screaming; the woman left the house and waited for police. The assault caused “extensive injuries to his genitals” that required emergency surgery. The woman told police that her husband had been cheating for two decades and that she acted to stop the infidelity. She entered a guilty plea in March and remains under name suppression pending a mental-health assessment. Judge John Walker previously ruled that suppression was justified on grounds of potential mental-health issues and hardship to the family. The sentencing hearing, repeatedly delayed, is now set for October.

The New Zealand Herald

Urologists in New Zealand describe such injuries as “extremely rare.” Reconstructive work involved repairing the urethra, blood vessels and damaged nerves. While urologists can address the urethra and vascular repair, plastic surgeons perform the delicate nerve reconnection needed for any chance of restored erectile function. The procedure is complicated by the size of the blood vessels, which can cause life-threatening bleeding, and by the difficulty of restoring nerve sensation.

The New Zealand Herald

Judge Walker emphasized that the case presented an “arguable case” for name suppression, citing possible mental-health concerns and the hardship that public identification could cause the woman, her children and the victim. The court has kept the woman’s identity confidential while the sentencing phase proceeds.

The New Zealand Herald

• “If the nerves have been cut, then you basically can’t really repair those. They might self-heal over a very, very long time, like it can take several years, but there’d be a very high chance the patient would be left with a numbness or lack of sensation in the penis.” — Giovanni Losco, Christchurch reconstructive urologist

The New Zealand Herald

• “The structures we’re dealing with are not microscopic. That’s the plastic surgeon’s job. It’s not rocket science for us; it’s well within our toolkit of abilities.” — Jim Duthie, surgeon

The New Zealand Herald

The case has drawn comparisons to the 1993 Lorena Bob Bobbitt incident in the United States, where a husband’s penis was fully removed and later reattached. New Zealand surgeons note that while they have never performed a full penile reattachment, they have repaired similar severe injuries from accidents and interpersonal violence, applying techniques from other reconstructive procedures.

The New Zealand Herald