The slaying of a disabled teenage girl in Saleimoa cast a dark shadow over the Easter weekend. The incident was tragic and has posed many questions about the safety of children in their homes.

Police arrested a 29-year-old man for the horrific crime. The man is the uncle of the bedridden teenager. The incident has shocked the nation. The crime itself was gruesome. It would be something that has mentally scarred the children of the household involved, the neighbours and even the members of the police service.

The motive for the brutal murder has not been made public, however, the issue of child neglect has come to the forefront. Authorities have confirmed that in most cases of child abuse, the perpetrator is known to the victims. There have been documented cases, and even the courts have raised this issue.

It may not have been intentional, but in this case, a 14-year-old bedridden girl was left in the care of an uncle. The incident is heartbreaking for the family as they have lost a loved one through an act which many will not forget for years to come. The incident highlights a greater issue that has often been neglected.

Children’s safety and care have been neglected for too long. We see it daily with the increasing number of child vendors, where young children are left vulnerable to exploitation. Children with disabilities are more open to exploitation. It is seen when parents leave children at home and go play Bingo at night, or when toddlers are left in the care of nine or 10-year-olds. These issues are not taken seriously and are often hidden behind culture and religion.

Past and present governments have done nothing but talk about the issue. There have been policies and laws released, but there has been no real policing. Parents and those with responsibility are seldom held accountable by the authorities, allowing this cycle of neglect and abuse to continue.

Child neglect is a significant issue in Samoa, with various forms including physical, psychological, and emotional abuse, as well as exploitation. Studies and research carried out in Samoa over the last 10 years on the situation of children outline a wide range of abuses. The threat from increased access to the internet is also an issue for child protection through online bullying, illicit content and the potential for further harm through adults grooming children, fraud and child pornography.

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 children 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 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 and crimes against children continue to go unpunished. If statistics of offences against children are looked at, most perpetrators are known to the victim. Just ask the police officers who deal with such cases or look at the sentences given by the court.

Just because we continue to pretend that this is not a problem, does not mean that the problem has gone away. Wake up and do something about this evil, these heinous acts that are destroying lives and families.