An 18 year old girl is now under the care of Samoa Victim Support Group after she went through a horrifyingly abusive abduction by a 26 year old male - a total stranger to her village.
This matter has already been under investigation and the defendant was held in custody for four weeks waiting for court proceedings to continue.
On Monday 4th November 2013 the man accused by the girl of being behind the attack, Sueni Galumalemana, appeared before Justice Vaai on five charges as mentioned by the prosecution in court.
Counsel Alex Su’a, appearing on instructions of Mr. Papali'i Taeu Masepau, entered a plea of not guilty to all the charges against the defendant.
He also filed an application for the defendant to be released on bail.
Charges were not read out in court.
The application was granted and the defendant, Sueni Galumalemana, was told to surrender all travel documents.
He was also told to sign at the police station every Tuesday and Thursday and not to made any contact with the victim involved.
Mr. Su’a yesterday told Samoa Observer that police had filed a holding charge of sexual violence – but that police had yet to send that or any other information to the defence.
The attack was brought to the public’s attention when a film of the sexual violation was uploaded on online video network Youtube.
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In the video, the face of the victim can be seen but not the attacker. The video has since been removed. Copies of the video are believed to have been widely distributed from phone to phone using Bluetooth wireless technology.
The clip showed a man repeatedly taunting and assaulting the victim, in between demanding she take off her clothes and lie down.
In the video, the girl can be seen fighting back, again and again. At one stage, she picks up a rock to fight off the man. But, in scenes too blurry to be clear, the man can be heard beating the girl as she pleads for him to stop.
Eventually, after about 14 minutes of violence, the girl stops resisting.
Her attacker then sexually assaults her, filming her close up at the same time.
The president of the Samoa Victim Support Group Lina Chang said the victim was brought to them to monitor her safety.
“The victim was under 24 hour watch because she was attempting to commit suicide,” she said.
“But at the moment she is in good hands and she is living a happier life now, until the investigation is finished.”
Meantime, Justice Vui Clarence Nelson of the Supreme Court has condemned what he has described as an “epidemic” of sexual assaults against young girls.
Justice Vui said the attacks would not be tolerated, and that offenders can expect little leniency.
The Judge made his remarks while sentencing a man, 74, for 18 months on charges of indecent assault of a relative, a girl aged 16.
His comments came as overseas media carried a report of village elders that banished a 13 year old girl for allegedly luring young boys to have sex.
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