IN THE SUPREME COURT OF SAMOA
Police v SP [2016] WSSC 213

Case name: 	Police v SP	
		
Citation: 	[2016] WSSC 213	
		
Decision date: 	04 November 2016	
		
Parties: 	POLICE (Prosecution) and SP, female defendant. (Defendant)	
		
Hearing date(s): 	-	
		
File number(s): 	S3749/15	
		
Jurisdiction: 	Criminal	
		
Place of delivery: 	Supreme Court of Samoa, Mulinuu	
		
Judge(s): 	Justice Nelson	
		
On appeal from:		
		
Order:	-	O le a faapea le sala tupe e te totogiina: muamua e $500 lau sala, lona lua e $100 le tau o le faamasinoga, $100 le tau o le Ofisa o Leoleo, $50 le tau o le Ofisa Faanofo Vaavaaia.  O le aofai e tatau ona totogi e $750, e tatau ona oo atu i le ta o le 12:00 o le Aso Gfua aso 07/11/16 ua maea ona totogi lau sala tupe lea. A iai se faaletonu e te nofo sala i le falepuipui mo le 6 masina, e iai se vaega e le o manino? (Defendant said no).	
		
Representation: 	L Sio for prosecution
M V Peteru for defendant	
		
Catchwords: 	-	
		
Words and phrases:	Accessory after the fact – sexual offending – attempting to obstruct – pervert the course of justice – sexually assaulted – sexual offending against young children.	
		
Legislation cited:	Crimes Act 2013	
		
Cases cited:		
		
Summary of decision:		

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF SAMOA
HELD AT MULINUU

BETWEEN:
		
POLICE
Prosecution

AND:

	SP female defendant..
Defendant

Counsel:	
L Sio for prosecution
M V Peteru for defendant

Sentence:	04 November 2016

S E N T E N C E
1.	The defendant has pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to the sexual offending of her 17 year old nephew upon her 8 year old niece.  The fathers of the two children are her brothers.  In accordance with the charge the defendants action was to take and harbour her nephew in her house after he committed the offence, and after she talked the victims mother out of reporting the incident to the police.  I have just sentenced her nephew to prison because of the seriousness of what he did.  
2.	The defendant is fortunate that more serious charges such as attempting to obstruct and/or pervert the course of justice were not pursued against her.  Because if they were she most likely would have received a similar sentence.  That should indicate to you SP how seriously the court views your conduct in this matter.  You were trying to protect your 17 year old nephew but completely ignoring the real victim, your 8 year old niece who had just been sexually assaulted by him.  In fact you had been told the boy had raped the young girl.  Yet you still took measures to assist him.  
3.	I note however that your nephew only spent a limited period of time in your house before leaving the village.  Defence counsels submission says that after taking him to your house instructing him to stay there, you left for a church meeting and on your return discovered he had left the house and the village.  These submissions were not challenged by the prosecution.  That is a significant factor in your favour.  Because if you had harboured this boy for longer I can assure you, my sentence would have been quite different.  
4.	I also note that according to defence counsels submissions it is stated that you were motivated not by a desire to assist your nephew but to avoid trouble breaking out between your brothers.  And also what the father of the victim might do to the young boy.  We are all Samoans I understand that submission perfectly.  That also operates as a factor in your favour.  
5.	The maximum penalty for this kind of offending for your information is by virtue of section 39(2) of the Crimes Act 5 years in prison.  Prosecution have not sought a prison term be imposed on you probably because of the facts that I have just referred to.  But this is not to understate the seriousness of your offending which the penalty of the court must reflect.  The penalty of the court must also send the necessary deterrent message to you and to everyone else, not to try and cover up things like this and keep it in the family.  We live in a society now SP I am sure you are well aware where the message we are trying to send to the public is sexual offending especially against young children is not something to be kept in the family or hidden away.  
6.	E avea ma ou lelei le tulaga lea ma o tulaga foi lea na taua e le tamaitai loia i lana talosaga tusitusia i le Fa’amasinoga, o le tulaga lelei mo oe o lea faatoa aumai oe i luma o le tulafono, o loo lelei foi le lipoti lea e aumai mai le Ofisa Faanofo Vaavaaia mo oe, i le talaaga o lou soifuaga.  E tele foi tusi ia e lagolagoina ai le lipoti a le Ofisa Faanofo Vaavaaia, pei o le tusi mai le tou faifeau faatasi ma le pulenuu o le tou afioaga.  Ua manino foi le Faamasinoga ua maea ona toe teuteu le tou mataupu i totonu lava o le tou lotoifale, o le sa’o lea? (Defendant said yes).  Ua maea foi ona faamaonia mai e le Ofisa Faanofo Vaavaaia lena tulaga.  Ua  faatino le faatoesega sa tatau ona fai ma mea faapena.  O leisi tulaga e fesoasoani i lau mataupu o lou ioe i le solitulafono.  E atagia mai iina lou talia e le talafeagai le tulaga lea sa e faia.  Ia ma ua avea foi lena vaega o se tulaga ua sefe ai foi le taimi a le Faamasinoga ma le ofisa o leoleo ma le Ofisa o le loia.  E taua la le vaega lea o lou ioe i le solitulafono, e manino mai foi iina o lea e te talia e le fetaui lau gaioiga lea sa fai i le taule’ale’a lea.  
7.	A tuu faatasi uma mataupu ia SP e mafai ona faasala tupe lau mataupu i le aso.  Ae lelei le tatou taape ua manino le mata o le vai, aua e te toe faia se mea faapea.  O le sala tupe lena e mo le mataupu lenei ona o tulaga faapitoa o le mataupu.  Ae a toe aumai oe i luma o le tulafono i mea faapenei, leai la ua tatau loa ona ese se faaiuga ua tatau ona faataatia atu.  
8.	Pei ona faailoa atu e le faamasinoga e tatau lava ona fuafua se sala tupe i le ogaoga o le solitulafono, ma i le silasila a le Faamasionga i le mataupu lenei e fai a si ogaoga.  O le a faapea le sala tupe e te totogiina: muamua e $500 lau sala, lona lua e $100 le tau o le faamasinoga, $100 le tau o le Ofisa o Leoleo, $50 le tau o le Ofisa Faanofo Vaavaaia.  O le aofai e tatau ona totogi e $750, e tatau ona oo atu i le ta o le 12:00 o le Aso Gafua aso 07/11/16 ua maea ona totogi lau sala tupe lea. A iai se faaletonu e te nofo sala i le falepuipui mo le 6 masina, e iai se vaega e le o manino? (Defendant said no).
9.	Ia o lea foi ua talia le talosaga a le tamaitai loia i le faaiuga lea na fai e taofia le faasalalauina o le igoa o EA faatasi ma le teineitiiti lea na aafia i le mataupu lenei.  O lea o le a faaopoopo atu iai ma lou suafa.  E faasaina le faasalalauina o le igoa o lau susuga ma tulaga faapena.  Pei ona faamanino atu i le tamaitai loia e ala ona faapea ona fai, ona a faapea e faailoa lou suafa e ono aafia atu ai ma igoa o tamaiti lea e taumafai e puipui.  Mo oe ia ua e matua, o tagata e faia mea faapenei, e leai se mea o le a taofia ai fua ia le faasalalauga o le igoa o le tagata e solitulafono faapea.  Ae ona e aafia ai tamaiti lea o le a talia ai le talosaga a le tamaitai loia.  Ua aafia foi la ma oe SP i totonu o le faaiuga lea ua fai e sa ona faasalalauina lou igoa ma tulaga o le mataupu lenei ma lou aafiaga.

JUSTICE NELSON