A woman who allegedly told her 12-year-old daughter not to talk about her stepfather’s sexual abuses toward her has been arrested and charged by the Attorney General’s office for hindering prosecution and endangering the welfare of a child.

To protect the identity of the victim in this case, Samoa News has opted not to identify the defendant, who is her mother.

The mother made her initial appearance in District Court last week and is being held on bail of $10,000. The ‘hindering prosecution’ charge is a class D felony punishable by up to five years in jail, and/or a fine of up to $5,000 while the endangerment count is a class A misdemeanor, that is punishable with up to one year in jail, and/or a fine up to $1,000. 

According to the government’s case, the matter was reported to the police on January 27, 2016 by the victim’s auntie. It’s alleged that the auntie informed the police that her niece claimed to have been sexually abused by her stepfather in one of the villages on the western side of the island. Court filings say that the police met with the victim who claimed that on January 05, 2016 she was sleeping in the living room of their family home when she felt her stepfather touching her in a sexual manner.

The victim told the police that she did not scream for help because she was scared. The victim further stated that she told her teacher on January 22, 2016 and her teacher told her to return home and tell her mother about the incident involving her stepfather.

The victim then wrote a letter to her mother telling her what had occurred between her and her stepfather. It’s alleged that when the mother picked up the defendant, she asked the victim if everything in the letter was true, and the victim confirmed that everything that was written was the truth.

Court filings say that later that same day, she heard her mother talking to the stepfather about the letter. It’s alleged the mother then called the victim into the room to confront her stepfather. Again the victim confirmed everything that was written in the letter. According to the government’s case the mother then told her daughter “what happened will stay in their home” and she “must not tell anyone.”

It’s further alleged that the mother told her daughter to forgive her stepfather as “he will take the children and she (the mother) will commit suicide.” The girl ended up staying with her grandfather.

The victim told the police that this is not the first time her stepfather had sexually abused her; alleging it began when she was nine years old, and the stepfather afterwards threatened her if she was to tell anyone. Court filings say the victim did not tell anyone and her stepfather continued to sexually abuse her over the next three years.

When the police spoke to the mother, she confirmed the statement given by the victim and allegedly admitted that she told her daughter “to make sure that no one finds out about what her stepfather did.” The mother said she was embarrassed about it, and that if the victim told anyone, she (the mother) would commit suicide.

On February 4, 2016 the stepfather was arraigned in High Court for sodomy, deviate sexual assault and first-degree sexual abuse.