Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On March 9, 2024, a concerned citizen contacted the Fagatogo Central Station (FCS) that an unknown male was assaulting an unknown female at Sadie Thompson Inn in Fagatogo.

The victim’s father and brother were apprehended and charged with Count 1: Assault in the Third Degree (DV), a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000.00 but not less than $150.00, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $1,000.

(Samoa News has withheld names of those involved to protect the minor involved in this case).

According to the affidavit, On March 9th, at about 2:55 a.m, a concerned citizen contacted the Fagatogo Central Station and stated she witnessed an unknown male assaulting an unknown female at Sadie Thompson Inn in Fagatogo.

Police officers responded to the scene and upon arrival observed three people standing next to the stairs and looking at the top of the stairs of the second floor.

Police met with an unknown female who identified herself as the reporter/ witness. The witness stated that she was with her dad at the gas station near the Inn and saw a man assaulting a woman from the second floor of the Inn. The witness verbally stated she saw the man drag the woman to the left side of the balcony until he couldn’t be seen from where she was standing. The witness led the officers to the second floor to show the officers where the man was believed to be.

One of the officers knocked on the door numerous times and it was opened by a young male who was the victim’s 16-year-old brother and later identified as the first suspect.

The officers entered the room and observed a female “laying still on the bed, breathing heavily  hard”. One of the officers advised his partner to remove the young male out of the room while he interviewed the 20-year old female victim. While interviewing the victim, an unknown male interrupted the interview and was sent out by the officer. The unknown male later identified himself as the father of the victim.

The victim explained that her brother punched her in the face “many times with a closed fist while her father… punched and kicked her outside” on the balcony.

After interviewing the victim, the police officer exited the room to locate the victim’s father but he had already been detained by his partner.

The father and son were both detained at the scene and taken to FCS for processing.

Police officers then contacted their Captain regarding the case and another officer was sent over to escort the victim.

The victim was also placed inside another police unit and escorted to the FPSto await EMS “for check ups and treatments” [sic].

The father was booked at FCS and police officers detected a strong odor of alcohol emitting from the his breath, and he was also observed with bloodshot eyes “and was unable to maintain his balance”.

The brother was not questioned because his parents are divorced and his mother is in Papua, New Guinea and the father was too inebriated.

The father was transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next sitting of the District Court on March 11, 2024.

The brother of the victim was transported to the Juvenile Center in Tafuna.

The defendants and victim are identified as citizens of Papua New Guinea.