Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — On April 24, 2025, a woman walked into the Fagatogo Police Station (FPS) claiming that she was assaulted by her husband, allegedly in the presence of their young children.

The defendant was apprehended and later charged with:

Count 1: Private Peace Disturbance (DV), a class C misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to fifteen days, a fine of $300, or both; and,

Count 2: Assault in the Third Degree (DV), 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 $1,000.

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

According to the court affidavit, on Apr. 24th, at about 4:20 p.m, the victim walked into the FPS to report that her husband (defendant) allegedly assaulted her in front of their two children. Police officers interviewed the victim regarding the incident.

The officers observed that the victim’s left eye was swollen and had a red hand print mark on the left side of her cheek. Authorities asked the victim if she needed medical assistance but the victim refused.

According to the victim, she got into an argument with the defendant when he used her car, which he wasn’t allowed to use. The victim stated that she had already contacted the police to report her missing vehicle when the defendant returned.

During the argument about taking her car, the defendant got frustrated and slapped her across the face and she slapped him back but claimed she resented it because she’s not used to hurting anyone.

Moreover, as the defendant was carrying their 1 year-old, he stood and punched her in the left eye with his fist. She then rushed out to her car and went straight to the police station.

The victim explained that “this has been a repeated problem for their whole marriage”. She also claimed that they filed for divorce last year and have been waiting for almost a year — they still reside in the same household.

The officers asked about the defendant’s whereabouts and she directed them to their residence. The officers then proceeded to locate the defendant where he was apprehended at their residence and transported to the FPS for further investigation.

Upon arrival at the station, the defendant was Mirandized to which he understood and agreed to make a written statement.

According to the defendant, “he got back home after getting a haircut and his wife (victim) started talking to him about some stuff from the previous day.” He then went straight to the kitchen to see the kids having dinner and the victim followed him.

He claimed that as he sat down at the table and carried his son, the victim continued to accuse him, to say things to him. He asked her to stop talking but she was still insulting him and her remarks hurt him. That’s when he stood up but the victim blocked his way. As a result, he pushed her away and slapped her, which injured her left eye.

The defendant continued that the victim got up and left, and the next thing he knew, the police showed up.

The defendant was booked and transported to the Tafuna Correctional Facility to await the next available sitting of the District Court.

The victim also later notified the officers that this situation has happened about eight times already, but she was scared to report them due to the fear of what might happen to her children.

The defendant is identified as a 26-year-old citizen of Fiji.