A 17-year-old village boy has been gang raped by 10 knife wielding women in Papua New Guinea, police say.

Southern Highlands Province police commander Teddy Tei said the gang of women attacked the schoolboy just outside the provincial centre of Mendi on Friday.

"This is a serious matter and police are trying to identify who these animals are," he said.

"More than 10 women with kitchen knives attacked him and four women had sexual intercourse with him."

The boy went to hospital for treatment, he said.