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Court Report

CHILD ABUSE CASE IN DISTRICT COURT

A woman has been arrested and charged on allegations that she assaulted her four-year old daughter on Wednesday in Leone. Samoa News has opted not to name the defendant to protect the identity of the victim in this matter.

According to the government’s case, on Wednesday November, 28, 2012 a grandmother walked into the police station reporting that her daughter had beaten her granddaughter, and Officer AJ Tagoa’i was assigned to investigate the case.

It’s alleged the grandmother told police her granddaughter walked from her home to the Leone gas station where workers there contacted the grandmother. (The court documents do not specify if it was the Alamai gas station or Noella’s gas station, both located in Leone village.)

The grandmother further told police that her brother picked up the victim from the gas station and brought the victim to her house.

“Upon arrival, she observed that the victim had bruises and marks all over her body as if she was beaten, which made her bring forth her granddaughter due to the severe beating she had received from her mother,” say court filings.

The grandmother told police that she asked her granddaughter, what she was doing at the gas station, and she responded that she had ran away from home.

Police officers approached the child’s mother, where she was transported to the police station for more questioning. The mother told police the reason she beat her daughter was because she bit an underarm deodorant, played with lotion and got it all over important documents and papers, and she further spilled the gripe water (medicine).

Court filings state the mother admitted that she slapped her daughter and used a slipper to hit her body.

Emergency Medical Services were contacted and the child was taken to LBJ hospital due to the severity of the bruises that were on her face and body. Doctors told police the victim suffered bruises on her face, back, knees, arms and an abrasion on her bottom lip.

Police also contacted Child Protective Services with the Department of Human and Social Services for assistance. The case worker informed the defendant that her daughter would be under the care of Social Services.

The mother is charged with third degree assault and public peace disturbance, however the government is looking into this matter to determine if more charges should be filed against her.

Bail for the defendant is set at $500, and she’s represented by Assistant Public Defender Karen Shelley while prosecuting is Assistant Attorney General Terrie Bullinger.

SAMOANA HIGH SCHOOL GROUNDS ASSAULT CASE IN COURT

Taumaloto Aiava who’s held on a $10,000 bail is charged with assault second degree — a class D felony which carries a jail term of up to five years in jail, a fine of up to $5,000 or both, and public peace disturbance which is a class A misdemeanor which is punishable with up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000 or both.

The defendant made his initial appearance in District Court yesterday morning.

According to the government’s case, police officer Talosaga was assigned to investigate an assault case which allegedly occurred at Samoana High School.

It’s alleged the victim was at the school to pick up his daughter from volleyball practice when he was approached by the defendant.

Court filings state that Aiava asked the victim, if he was the one calling his girlfriend. The victim told the defendant, who was holding a tire iron, to calm down — that he has no idea what he was talking about.

The victim informed the defendant he was president of the Samoana High School Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and he was just there to pick up his daughter.

Court filings state, the victim told police, the defendant said he didn’t care and took a swing at the victim’s head, and missed but the tire iron landed on the car. The defendant is alleged to have then poked the victim’s face with the sharp edge of the tire iron hitting the victim on his lip, causing it to bleed.

The defendant refused to make a statement to police when he was taken into the police station. The tire iron had since been confiscated and taken to the police evidence room.

CASE AGAINST REV EMAU AMOSA SET FOR BENCH TRIAL, AGAIN

District Court Judge John Ward has scheduled another Bench Trial for former LBJ hospital employee and Congregational Christian Church of Jesus in Samoa preacher, Reverend, Emau Amosa, on December 14, 2012.

The defendant was in court yesterday for his pre-trial conference after defense attorney Fiti Sunia asked that the bench trial be stayed while this matter moved back to pre-trial status during the last status hearing on this matter.

Sunia again asked Judge John Ward to re-schedule this matter for a Bench trial. Assistant Attorney General Julie Pasquale did not object to the motion to set this matter back to Bench Trial.

According to the government’s case, Rev. Amosa is accused of allegedly threatening LBJ Chief Financial Officer Viola Babcock. He is charged with public peace disturbance and he has pled not guilty.

According to the government’s case, the incident stemmed from a meeting that took place at the LBJ hospital, on February 17, 2012 between the LBJ CFO and the defendant.

The defendant admitted to police on tape that he made threatening remarks and he had not apologized to the victim, according to court documents.

It’s alleged immediately after the incident, the victim contacted her supervisors at the hospital regarding the matter and she also changed the security code to the door of her office and also changed the security at her residence.

Outside the court house, Rev. Amosa told Samoa News to attend the bench trial scheduled on the 14th, and then the truth will come out about this incident.

GOVERNMENT FILES ADDITIONAL CHARGES AGAINST TOMA LISI 

Toma Lisi who’s facing third degree assault for offensive touching and property damage third degree, is facing additional charges of burglary first degree — a class B felony punishable from five to 15 years in jail.

According to the government’s case the defendant allegedly climbed into a girl’s bedroom, by tearing the screen wire on her bedroom window, and laid on her.  Toma Lisi also known as Onosa’i Lisi arrived in the territory on a 30-day permit back in April 19, 2011. He is held on a $30,000 bail.

The victim allegedly said the defendant attempted to kiss her but she pushed him away and told him to leave and he left. According to the government’s case, the defendant then left the bedroom and the authorities were contacted by the victim’s family.