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Police v SP [2016] WSSC 213 (4 November 2016)
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF SAMOA
Police v SP [2016] WSSC 213
Case name: | Police v SP |
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Citation: | |
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Decision date: | 04 November 2016 |
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Parties: | POLICE (Prosecution) and SP, female defendant. (Defendant) |
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Hearing date(s): | - |
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File number(s): | S3749/15 |
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Jurisdiction: | Criminal |
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Place of delivery: | Supreme Court of Samoa, Mulinuu |
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Judge(s): | Justice Nelson |
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On appeal from: |
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Order: | - O le a faapea le sala tupe e te totogiina: muamua e $500 lau sala, lona lua e $100 le tau o le faamasinoga, $100 le tau o le Ofisa
o Leoleo, $50 le tau o le Ofisa Faanofo Vaavaaia. O le aofai e tatau ona totogi e $750, e tatau ona oo atu i le ta o le 12:00 o
le Aso Gfua aso 07/11/16 ua maea ona totogi lau sala tupe lea. A iai se faaletonu e te nofo sala i le falepuipui mo le 6 masina,
e iai se vaega e le o manino? (Defendant said no). |
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Representation: | L Sio for prosecution M V Peteru for defendant |
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Catchwords: | - |
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Words and phrases: | Accessory after the fact – sexual offending – attempting to obstruct – pervert the course of justice – sexually
assaulted – sexual offending against young children. |
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Legislation cited: | |
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Cases cited: |
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Summary of decision: |
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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF SAMOA
HELD AT MULINUU
BETWEEN:
POLICE
Prosecution
AND:
SP female defendant..
Defendant
Counsel:
L Sio for prosecution
M V Peteru for defendant
Sentence: 04 November 2016
S E N T E N C E
- The defendant has pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the sexual offending of her 17 year old nephew upon her 8
year old niece. The fathers of the two children are her brothers. In accordance with the charge the defendants action was to take
and harbour her nephew in her house after he committed the offence, and after she talked the victims mother out of reporting the
incident to the police. I have just sentenced her nephew to prison because of the seriousness of what he did.
- The defendant is fortunate that more serious charges such as attempting to obstruct and/or pervert the course of justice were not
pursued against her. Because if they were she most likely would have received a similar sentence. That should indicate to you SP
how seriously the court views your conduct in this matter. You were trying to protect your 17 year old nephew but completely ignoring
the real victim, your 8 year old niece who had just been sexually assaulted by him. In fact you had been told the boy had raped
the young girl. Yet you still took measures to assist him.
- I note however that your nephew only spent a limited period of time in your house before leaving the village. Defence counsels submission
says that after taking him to your house instructing him to stay there, you left for a church meeting and on your return discovered
he had left the house and the village. These submissions were not challenged by the prosecution. That is a significant factor in
your favour. Because if you had harboured this boy for longer I can assure you, my sentence would have been quite different.
- I also note that according to defence counsels submissions it is stated that you were motivated not by a desire to assist your nephew
but to avoid trouble breaking out between your brothers. And also what the father of the victim might do to the young boy. We are
all Samoans I understand that submission perfectly. That also operates as a factor in your favour.
- The maximum penalty for this kind of offending for your information is by virtue of section 39(2) of the Crimes Act 5 years in prison. Prosecution have not sought a prison term be imposed on you probably because of the facts that I have just referred
to. But this is not to understate the seriousness of your offending which the penalty of the court must reflect. The penalty of
the court must also send the necessary deterrent message to you and to everyone else, not to try and cover up things like this and
keep it in the family. We live in a society now SP I am sure you are well aware where the message we are trying to send to the public
is sexual offending especially against young children is not something to be kept in the family or hidden away.
- E avea ma ou lelei le tulaga lea ma o tulaga foi lea na taua e le tamaitai loia i lana talosaga tusitusia i le Fa’amasinoga,
o le tulaga lelei mo oe o lea faatoa aumai oe i luma o le tulafono, o loo lelei foi le lipoti lea e aumai mai le Ofisa Faanofo Vaavaaia
mo oe, i le talaaga o lou soifuaga. E tele foi tusi ia e lagolagoina ai le lipoti a le Ofisa Faanofo Vaavaaia, pei o le tusi mai
le tou faifeau faatasi ma le pulenuu o le tou afioaga. Ua manino foi le Faamasinoga ua maea ona toe teuteu le tou mataupu i totonu
lava o le tou lotoifale, o le sa’o lea? (Defendant said yes). Ua maea foi ona faamaonia mai e le Ofisa Faanofo Vaavaaia lena
tulaga. Ua faatino le faatoesega sa tatau ona fai ma mea faapena. O leisi tulaga e fesoasoani i lau mataupu o lou ioe i le solitulafono.
E atagia mai iina lou talia e le talafeagai le tulaga lea sa e faia. Ia ma ua avea foi lena vaega o se tulaga ua sefe ai foi le
taimi a le Faamasinoga ma le ofisa o leoleo ma le Ofisa o le loia. E taua la le vaega lea o lou ioe i le solitulafono, e manino
mai foi iina o lea e te talia e le fetaui lau gaioiga lea sa fai i le taule’ale’a lea.
- A tuu faatasi uma mataupu ia SP e mafai ona faasala tupe lau mataupu i le aso. Ae lelei le tatou taape ua manino le mata o le vai,
aua e te toe faia se mea faapea. O le sala tupe lena e mo le mataupu lenei ona o tulaga faapitoa o le mataupu. Ae a toe aumai oe
i luma o le tulafono i mea faapenei, leai la ua tatau loa ona ese se faaiuga ua tatau ona faataatia atu.
- Pei ona faailoa atu e le faamasinoga e tatau lava ona fuafua se sala tupe i le ogaoga o le solitulafono, ma i le silasila a le Faamasionga
i le mataupu lenei e fai a si ogaoga. O le a faapea le sala tupe e te totogiina: muamua e $500 lau sala, lona lua e $100 le tau
o le faamasinoga, $100 le tau o le Ofisa o Leoleo, $50 le tau o le Ofisa Faanofo Vaavaaia. O le aofai e tatau ona totogi e $750,
e tatau ona oo atu i le ta o le 12:00 o le Aso Gafua aso 07/11/16 ua maea ona totogi lau sala tupe lea. A iai se faaletonu e te nofo
sala i le falepuipui mo le 6 masina, e iai se vaega e le o manino? (Defendant said no).
- Ia o lea foi ua talia le talosaga a le tamaitai loia i le faaiuga lea na fai e taofia le faasalalauina o le igoa o EA faatasi ma le
teineitiiti lea na aafia i le mataupu lenei. O lea o le a faaopoopo atu iai ma lou suafa. E faasaina le faasalalauina o le igoa
o lau susuga ma tulaga faapena. Pei ona faamanino atu i le tamaitai loia e ala ona faapea ona fai, ona a faapea e faailoa lou suafa
e ono aafia atu ai ma igoa o tamaiti lea e taumafai e puipui. Mo oe ia ua e matua, o tagata e faia mea faapenei, e leai se mea o
le a taofia ai fua ia le faasalalauga o le igoa o le tagata e solitulafono faapea. Ae ona e aafia ai tamaiti lea o le a talia ai
le talosaga a le tamaitai loia. Ua aafia foi la ma oe SP i totonu o le faaiuga lea ua fai e sa ona faasalalauina lou igoa ma tulaga
o le mataupu lenei ma lou aafiaga.
JUSTICE NELSON
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