25 Jan 2010

Stalking criminalised in American Samoa

3:40 pm on 25 January 2010

American Samoa's House of Representatives has approved in final reading a bill which makes stalking a crime.

The bill was authored by Representative Larry Sanitoa and had the support of the Attorney General's Office and Criminal Justice Planning Agency.

It says a person commits the crime of stalking if they follow by maintaining visual or physical proximity to a specific person, or directing verbal, written or other threats, whether express or implied to that person on two or more occasion over a period of time.

It says this applies if their conduct causes reasonable fear of harm to the person stalked, a member of their family or an acquaintance.