Samoa Village imposes $2,000 fine on untitled wife beaters
Vaie’e Safata, SAMOA — Any untitled man in the village of Vaie’e, Safata, who beats up on his wife will be fined $2,000 and will be banished for failure to pay up.
The village council ruled on the new punishment during their regular Monday meeting last week.
Vaie’e pulenu’u or official government village representative, Lealaimanu Mafutaga, confirmed the council decision.
A wife who filed a legal complaint against her husband for physical abuse may have sparked a series of events that has now ended with the village ruling.
The woman alleged the beatings were done regularly and to the point where in some instances she lost conscious.
The court reportedly wrote to the village council to bring the woman’s complaint to their attention.
“We received a letter from the court over claims of violence by the wife against the husband, it triggered the council ruling to apply to every man who commits violence against his wife,” Lealaimanu told Newsline.
The couple lived inland away from the rest of the village and they knew of the violence but did not intervene because it was treated as a family matter.
Lealaimunā told Newsline that the village will impose punishment on the husband once the legal matter is settled.
“We are waiting for the court decision before we make our ruling official and if he refuses, we will banish him from the village.”