Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On January 11, 2025, a concerned mother walked into the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) to report that her daughter was allegedly raped by a 55-year-old male.

The suspect was apprehended and later charged with:

Count 1: Child Molestation, a class A felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of at least ten years;

Count 2: Rape, a class B felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to fifteen years;

Count 3: Sodomy, a class B felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to fifteen years; and,

Count 4: Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of $1,000, or both.

The defendant’s bail was set at $50,000.

(Samoa News has decided not to name the suspect due to the victim being identified as a minor and according to the law the suspect is innocent until proven guilty.)

According to the court affidavit, on Jan. 11th, at about 10:30 p.m., a concerned mother walked into the FPS to file a complaint against a man that she alleged raped her 11 year-old daughter at their residence.

The officers conducted an interview with the victim and her mother about the incident.

At around 10:40 p.m., the suspect was apprehended and brought into the station for further investigation. The officers detected a strong smell of alcohol emitting from the suspect as he entered the station.

Officers contacted Child Protective Services (CPS) about the said incident.

According to the victim’s mother, on Saturday night, Jan. 11th, at about 10:30 p.m., there was a rape incident in their home. She stated that the suspect is one of her husband’s friends, and he had been taken in by her husband providing him shelter until he could find a place to go to.

The mother explained that it was that night that the suspect raped her daughter and this was witnessed by her brother. Moreover, the victim’s mother explained that her brother came to their house and found that the suspect was lying on top of her daughter.

Her brother told her to chase the suspect away from the house without initially telling her what had happened. Later, her daughter told her that the suspect had touched her private area and laid on her.

Upon disclosure of this information, she walked into the station and took her daughter to the hospital to have her checked. The victim’s mother mentioned again that there was a witness who saw what happened.

The victim was interviewed and stated that on Saturday night, Jan. 11th, her mom was in the living room with her aunt and the suspect. Her mom told her to go shower, which she did and then she put on her clothes — a Samoan sarong (ie lavalava). Her mom told her that when she was done putting her clothes on to head in front of the house to where their family’s graves are. However, after she showered she saw the suspect and he asked her if she was wearing any pants and she told him no and that she was only wearing her under garments and ie lavalava.

The suspect told her not to go where her mother told her to go, and so she just laid on the couch and covered her body with a blanket and watched videos on her phone. At this time, the suspect who was sitting on the other couch proceeded to sit next to her and he started touching her breast and her private parts. Moreover, the suspect proceeded to rape her.

The victim stated that she tried to scream and yell for her mom but the suspect covered her mouth so no one could hear her. At this time, her uncle walked in and caught the suspect on top of her where he grabbed and threw the suspect off of her and the suspect ran outside the house.

Furthermore, the victim stated that there was a first incident when  the suspect asked her if she wanted to have sex and in the second time he started touching and massaging her breasts. She explained that “she was scared to tell her dad because he might get locked up for becoming angry at the suspect and beating him up.”

The officers asked if she could remember the day of the first and second incident, and the victim verbally stated “yes”. The victim told the officers that it was in December before Christmas that the first and second incident occurred but she can’t remember the day.

At around 11:01 p.m., the suspect was Mirandized to which he agreed to make a statement.

According to the suspect, he claimed that the victim “had come to him and started touching his chest and making [sic] her hands down towards his private part. He alleged that he told the victim to stop but she didn’t listen and continued touching him which he couldn’t resist anymore and took her to the room where all they did was touch each other.

On January 12, 2025 at about 12:17 a.m., the suspect was booked and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to be confined awaiting the next sitting of the District Court.

At around 12:40 a.m., CPS arrived at the FPS to talk to the victim and her mother.

After the social workers conducted their interview, they took the victim to the hospital to get a medical examination. At around 2:20 a.m., CPS dropped off the victim’s clothes to the station after the medical examination was completed.

On the same date at about 7:00 p.m., the officers conducted a follow up investigation with the eyewitness. The officers also contacted the victim’s mother and asked if the witness could come into the FPS for an interview.

At about 7:31 p.m., the witness stated that at around 9:35 p.m., Saturday night, he had just gotten home and there he observed the suspect on top of his niece. He ran up to him and pulled him off. The witness stated that he knew the suspect had done something to his niece and he yelled at him to get out of the house and never come back. He then went to his sister and told her what happened. The witness also told his sister that she needed to go to the police station to file a report and to make sure his niece gets a medical check up at the hospital.

The authorities are currently awaiting the results of the victim’s medical report.

The defendant is identified as a 55-year-old. The affidavit did not state his nationality.