A betrayal of trust in the most depraving way. That was Justice Leiataualesa Daryl Clarke’s word to the man he sentenced to 16 years behind bars for raping his teenage daughter on multiple occasions.

It is a crime that sends shockwaves. Heinous does not come close to the actions of this man. The court has rightfully imposed a lengthy sentence to deter such crimes.

While the lengthy sentences would make perpetrators think twice about their actions, the fact remains that they keep on happening. The culture of silence which many Samoan families practice, is because they fear shame comes to the family if such a crime is reported.

It is more shameful to hide behind culture and village norms and allow such things to happen to a child. A neighbour reported the matter in this case. The matter came to light when he attempted to rape his daughter in October 2023 and when she refused he chased her with stones and she sought shelter in a neighbouring home.

The matter was then reported to police and as a result of the charges the family had to leave the rural village they resided in. The village council is at fault here as well. Why was the whole family asked to leave when there was one perpetrator? Instead of protecting the family and other children, a mindless action was taken by the so-called village elders. Just amazing.

This is the stigma families have to deal with and most opt not to report the matter to the police. Firstly, they feel great shame has fallen on the family and then there is a fear that the village will banish the whole family.

Three months ago, another Supreme Court senior judge, Justice Vui Clarence Nelson sentenced a 40-year-old man to 15 years in jail for raping his 13-year-old daughter on multiple occasions.

He called such acts as a national shame.

As the court passed its sentence, Judge Justice Vui Clarence Nelson stated that the epidemics of dengue fever and other diseases come and go in Samoa but the epidemic of sexual offending by older men on innocent young females continues to hold this country in its grip.

The most number of cases being dealt with by the court are sexual offences and in most cases, the perpetrators are known to the victims, who are often children. Such is the decay gripping society but instead of dealing with it, the matter is never spoken of because it will bring ‘shame’ to the family.

What of the trauma suffered by the child victims? There are 85 children at the Campus of Hope and there are more than that whose cases have not been reported because it would bring shame to the family.

The churches need to step up their game. This week Malua Theological College said they are teaching priests in training to deal with social issues. The school talked about meth and deportees, what about sexual violence in homes? Is this not a social problem, one of the biggest that we see happening in our little nation?

Churches need to look at the issue. They need to deal with this pandemic that is morally and spiritually corrupting. It is simply evil and if that is the case all churches in Samoa have a role to play in ensuring the safety of girls in their own homes.

The chiefs and the elders of the village need to drive this conversation in village meetings and allow the young to know what is right behaviour and what is morally unacceptable. Mothers have to teach their daughters to speak out against unwanted behaviour and family members have to be strong enough to report the matter to the police or a village elder.

The village elder also has the responsibility to go to the police. In many cases, village elders try to become mediators, even in the heinous of cases because if word gets out then it will bring shame to the village and the family.

The fear of that shame has been ruining the lives of the children of Samoa and such predatory behaviour by older men goes unpunished.

Another judge has said the safety of young vulnerable girls from predatory behaviours of older males needs to be vigilantly protected.

Justice Mata Tuatagaloa has said that for a country that places a lot of emphasis on family, culture and religion, the increase in the number of sexual violations and abuse against young girls in villages and especially within families shows a breakdown in our society and on the innate shared understandings about our cultural values.

If statistics of sexual offences are looked at, most perpetrators are known to the victim. Just ask the police officers who deal with sexual offences or look at the sentences given by the court.

Just because we continue to pretend that there is not a problem, does not mean that the problem has gone away.

Wake up Samoa, and do something about this evil, these heinous acts that are destroying lives and families.

Remember, committing atrocities is a crime but it is a bigger crime to suffer them in silence – speak out.