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Mweta v Nitain [2016] VUSC 40; Mat 03 of 2015 (23 March 2016)

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF
THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU
(Civil Jurisdiction)
Matrimonial Case No. 3 of 2015

BETWEEN:
CHRISTINA MWETA
Petitioner

AND:

ANDRE NITAIN
Respondent

Coram: Justice Aru
Counsel: Mrs. M. Vola for the Petitioner
Mr. H. Rantes for the Respondent

JUDGMENT

Introduction

The Petitioner in these proceedings filed her petition on 26 February 2015 seeking a dissolution of her marriage to the Respondent on the grounds of persistent cruelty.

Background

Christine Mweta and Andre Nitain were married on 9 September 2000 at the Catholic Cathedral in Port Vila. They now have four children namely Nadine Nitain (27), Andriano Nitain (26), Jules Nitain (18) and Steve Nitain (10).

The Petition was filed in the Magistrate Court on 26 February 2015, as it was disputed, the matter was then referred to the Supreme Court for determination. The orders sought in the Petition are for:-

the marriage to be dissolved; and
the Petitioner to have custody of their son, Steve Nitain.

Answer to Petition

4. The Respondent in his answer to the petition denies that the Petitioner is entitled to the orders sought and does not agree to the dissolution of their marriage or that the Petitioner be given custody of their son Steve Nitain.

Evidence

The evidencein chief for the Petitioner is her sworn statement filed on 26 February 2015 which was tendered as Exhibit P1.

The Respondent's evidence in chief on the other hand is his sworn statement filed on 13 April 2015 which was also tendered as Exhibit R1.

Discussion

The main issue is whether the marriage should be dissolved on the grounds that since the celebration of the marriage, the Respondent has treated the Petitioner with persistent cruelty.

Section 5 a) iii) of the Matrimonial Causes Act [CAP 192] states:-

"5. Grounds for petitions

Subject to the provisions of section 6, a petition for divorce may be presented to the Court either by the husband or the wife –

(a) on the ground that the respondent –
...

• (iii) has since the celebration of the marriage treated the petitioner with persistent cruelty; or

..."

It was submitted by the Petitioner that she faced a hard life from 2007 to 2014 and as a result has now left the matrimonial home. She felt that the Respondent wanted to punish her after admitting adultery. She was assaulted and had to do all the household chores. It was submitted that her daily routine from 2007 to 2014 amounted to persistent cruelty by control though not physical cruelty.

The Respondent on the other hand submits that the Petitioner under cross examination admitted that looking after the children and doing house hold chores is her responsibility as a mother. It was further submitted that cruelty must be persistent or continuous whereas in the current case the Petitioner was assaulted by the Respondent only once therefore the marriage should not be dissolved.

In Kong v Kong [2000] VUCA 8 it was said that:-

"The requirement of s5 a) (3) of the Matrimonial Causes Act is proof of "persistent cruelty". Persistent cruelty normally requires a course of cruel conduct which is persisted in by the defendant, not a single isolated act of cruelty."

The Petitioner's evidence is that her life took a turn for the worse when in 2006 she found out that the Respondent was having an affair. Feeling hurt she decided to do the same thing as pay back to the Respondent in 2006 and 2007. Following a meeting with their chiefs she admitted her affair. Thereafter she was assaulted by the Respondent and his brother. A week later the Respondent took her to Etas in Vila on the pretext of seeing his chief and assaulted her again with a piece of timber. She managed to escape and took a protection order against the Respondent.

From 2007 onwards she sates at paragraph 12 to 35 of her sworn statement that:-

"12. Since long 2007 kasem 2014, Andre I wantem panisim mi, hemi wantem blong mi nogat wan free taem blong wok baot. Hemi livim every work long hand blong mi. Taem mi finis work, mi kambak long house, every work blong house, mi nomo bae mi mekem. Miwokbaot from ol pikinini blong school, mi cook, mi washem klos blong mifala, mi finisim ol wok ya, long naet, bae mi go stap long nakamal blong salem kava kasem 1 o'clock long early morning, mi go sleep. Tumoro morning, same program..
13. Mi mekem same routine we mi mentionem long point. 7 antap, long 2007 kasem long April 2014, mekem se mi harem se mi taet, Andre I tekem mi olsem wan slave from se mi nogat enough taem blong spel, mi save sleep 4 to 5 hours nomo, mekem se mi feel tired every day, hemi nomo tritim mi olsem woman blong hem.
14. Long 7 December 2013, Joel, boy blong mitufala, I kambak long holiday long Fiji, mi wetem ol pikinini mifala I mekem smol kakae long house from Joel hemi kasem 25 years, mo small granddaughter blong mi Christelle, hemi kasem 7 years. Long taem ya, Andre I cross long mi, hemi go wokbaot wetem ol friend blong hem, hemi no stap wetem mifala long birthday ya, hemi cross from mi usum 6000VT blong hem blong joenem money blong kakae long hem.
15. Long 9th December 2013, Andre I stap rao long mi, hemi talem long mi se mi no should mekem birthday from mi stap usum tumas money blong hem. Mo, hemi talem se naoia bae mi no mekem birthday long yard blong hem.
16. Long 18th January 2014, Andre hemi cross long mi from mi no wantem go salem kava long nakamal, mekem se hem nao I go salem kava. Andre hemi talem long mi se "Christine, mi no save from wanem mi maretem wan woman olsem yu. Yu wan stupid woman. Yu strong blong wok long white man nomo, be yu no save go salem kava long nakamal. Hemia work blong salem ass ya."
17. Long Monday 20th January 2014, Andre hemi cross long mi, mo hemi swe long mi se yu wan paset woman, yu no save pem kava blong go mekem long nakamal. Afta hemi go play billiard long green light nakamal kasem hemi kambak long early morning.
18. Long Thursday 23 January 2014, Andre hemi swe long mi from mi no save servem lunch blong hem. Hemi se tipskin, fuck you, yutingbaot ass blong yu nomo, igud yu go rentem wan house samples, yu nomo stap wetem mifala. Mi no needim wan woman olsem yu.
19. Long Saturday 25th January 2014, Andre hemi cross long mi se bae mi mekem tea blong hem long 1 o'clock morning taem hemi kamak long nakamal. Taem mi sleep finis hemi mas singaot se bae mi wekap blong mekem kakae or tea blong hem, spos no hemi cross nao.
20. Long Monday 27th January 2014, long lunch taem, mi finis wok mi go bak long house, igat island kakae I stap long saucepan I tan finis blong mifala I kakae, be Andre I no wantem kakae island kakae. Hemi sendem Jules, boy blong mitufala, blong go long house blong sista blong hem- Nadine, blong tekem wan plate rice. Jules I no go quick from kakae, Andre I cross long mitufala wetem Jules, hemi swe long mitufala se yutufala I kaikai shit blong yutufala. Then Andre hemi mekemjes go from plate rice long Nadine, then hemi go broke mol plate mool cup blong tea blongmifala. Then, hemi go pushum TV Screen I foltaon I brok.
21. Mi harem nogud from Andre hmeiswe long mi wetem ol pikinini. Wan fasin blong hem tu we I nogud, taem hemi cross long mifala, hemi kapasaetem kakae we I stap long saucepan blong mifala. Fasinya hemi bin mekem two taem, las taem I bin happen long December 2013.
22. Andre hemi wan papa we taem hemi cross long pikinini, hemi blamem mi nao se ol pikinini ya oli tekem fasin blong mi.
23. Insaed long home blong mitufala, mi contribute bigwan tumas. Before mifala I kam live long Fresh wota long graonblongmifala we Andre I pem, I no bin gat metre blong laet, mi yet mi pem metre blong laet long 1998, afta emmi karem money blong long mi long VNPF, afta long riot. Mi bin contribute tu long metre blong wota, long VT 5000.
24. Mi wan nomo mi bin stappem school fee blong Nadine mo Adriano kasem taem we Nadine hemi finis school long 2006. Adriano mi pem school fee kasem year 2010 hemi kasem scholarship long year 14 blong hem long Lycee LAB.
25. Naoia mi stappem school blong Jules, hemi finis last year long Year 12 long Lycee LAB, mo naoia mi stappem course blong hem long USP. Mi stap lukaotem last born blong mitufala Steve, we I stap long class 4 long Saint Jeanne d'Arc, Port Vila. Steve hemi ripitim class 4 long year yia 2015, from last year, taem hemi stap wetem papa blong hem, Steve ino bin stap go gud long school.
26. Long April 2014, mi putum Andre namba 2 taem long Court moaskem wan Protection Order from olswemo violence blong hem. Taem hemi kasem Order blong hem we ol Police oli go servem long hem long house long Fresh Wota, hemi cross tumas.
27. Andre hemi kamluk mi long ples blong wok blong mi long L'Houstalet, mo hemi tok strong long mi se mi no should putum hem long court, be mi should askem divorce nomo.
28. Afta Andre tekem mi go bak long house long Fresh Wota, hemi rao long mi se mi go luk wan family blong mi we hemi wan chief blong Ambae, mo bae mi talem long hem blong hemi go luk Andre, blong Andre I talemaot long hem se spos mitufala I go long Magistrate Court, bae hemi askem divorce. Hemi mentionem divorce namba 2 taem.
29. Long Monday 14th April 2014, taem mi aot long home blong mi, mi out wetem tingting se bae mi finis wetem Andre nao from safety blong life blong mi.
30. Andre hemi traem every possible way blong mi go bak. Hemi even go lukol family blong Ambae long LakalakaBulu Council Blong Ol Chief blong Ambae blong traem holem wan miting blong mi go bak. Mi no attendem miting from mi dealim case blong mi long side blong Law.
31. Long 29th May 2014, Andre hemi telephone long mi long L'Houstalet hemi se taem mi finis long wok bae mi go pass long house blong tekem Steve I go stap wetem mi long day ya, from bae hemi go long Teouma.
32. Taem mi go long house blong tekem Steve, mi sek long Chief blong hem I stap finis we name blong hem Raymond Iatika wetem Remy, Lenymo Joel Iapna. Miaskem long Andre se from wanem hemi kolem miting afta hemi kiaman long mi se bae mi kam from Steve? Then Andre hemi talem long mi se hemi stap long house be olgeta nomo oli kam wetem tingting se bae yum as kambak spos no bae olpikininiblongbratablong mi Joel long Tebakor bae oli kam ronemaot yumitu long graon. Afta bae olgeta nao bae oli lukaotem graon mo property long plesya.
33. Taem oli singaotem mifala I sidaon oli talem ol tok tokya nao, Remy blong Tanna I talem se bae oli stap watchem situation blong mi wetem Andre, and spos mi no go bak bae oli kam ronemaot mitufala long graon mo bae oli putum ol pikinini blong Joel oli kam lukaotem property long Fresh Wota. Afta smol miting we Chief Raymond wetem Remy tufala I kam holem long Fresh Wota long 29th May 2014, oli toktok strong long mi blong mi kambak.
34. Mi bin ansa long chief blong Andre se "sorry, mi harem ol toktok blong yufala, mo mi no wantem toktok long yufala from yu chief, yu no luk home blong mi, mo spos mi explenem long yu, bae yu no save understandem mi too, from long level blong chief or man Tanna, yufala I tekem woman olsem ol slave blong yufala. Woman I stap long house blong mekem every wok, fasin yanao Andre I stap mekem long mi. Spos mi tingting se chief bae solvem problem blong mi, mi kam lukyu finis long taem, be mi no wantem, from end blong miting, bae yu talem se Christine yu kam bak. Be yu no lukhao mi suffer wetem ol pikinini blong mi. So thank you tumas long toktok blong yu chief, be bae mi no save kambak long Andre wetem ol tritment blong hem ya, mi, mi tekem decision blong mi finis."
35. Since long May 2014, kasem tedei, mi live mi wan long Fresh Wota 3, wetem tufala pikinini Adriano mo Steve.
..."

The Petitioner obtained a protection order against the Respondent in 2014 and has since been living by herself. Under cross examination she agreed that she was assaulted because she admitted to committing adultery in 2006. Furthermore, she agreed that doing the household chores is part of her responsibility as a mother but that the Respondent has not supported her.

The Petitioner's evidence as to cruelty has not been seriously challenged by the Respondent other than with general denials. He says that he only assaulted her once because she lied that she committed adultery only once .He denied that from 2007 to 2014 the Petitioner did all household chores and denied that he would get angry over money and food.

Conclusion

Cruelty in this case is both physical and emotional. Although the parties rely on their own evidence, after having observed them give evidence, I prefer the Petitioner's evidence.I am satisfied that the Respondent's conduct amounts to persistent cruelty. It is not a single isolated act of cruelty as the evidence shows that the acts of cruelty have persisted over the years from 2007 to 2014.

I therefore make the followings orders:-

ORDERS

1). The marriage between the Petitioner Mrs Christine Mweta and the Respondent Mr Andre Nitain celebrated on 9 September 2000 at the Catholic Cathedral in Port Vila is hereby dissolved.
2). The Petitioner shall have the custody of the child Steve Nitain;
3). The Respondent shall have reasonable access to the child Steve Nitain subject to arrangements to be made by the Petitioner and the Respondent based on what is best and suitable for the child.
4). A Decree Absolute shall be issued within three (3) months after the order for dissolution of the marriage.
5). Parties to pay their own costs.

DATED at Port Vila this 23 day of March 2016.

BY THE COURT

D. ARU
Judge