The Supreme Court in Samoa has convicted a 41 year old former theological college student to eleven years and nine months in jail for attempting to kill his girlfriend - a 44-year-old widow and mother of two.
The victim had sought help of the Samoa Victim Support Group to lodge a complaint against the police on how they had handled a protection order issued by the court against the defendant.
Auvale Taumata Bragovits heading to court in Samoa Photo: Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia
The police said the woman was attacked by the defendant, Auvale Taumata Bragovits, in the early hours of the morning when she went to a morning mass in a catholic church in her village in October last year.
In her rulingJustice Mata Tuatagaloa, rejected a submission by the defence counsel asking the court to consider the victim had also to be blamed for what had happened.
The judge said Bragovits had shown no respect for his victim, and attacked her in front of her 14-year-old son, who was traumatised and will live with the scars of the incident for the rest of his life.
