24 Sep 2013

Meeting in American Samoa hears violence will not be tolerated

1:26 pm on 24 September 2013

A meeting in American Samoa on the recent violence at a high school volleyball game has heard that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated.

Five students were injured and a bus stoned during two incidents involving volleyball players last week.

The governor, Lolo Matalasi Moliga, called the meeting to discuss what to do to prevent such violence in school events.

He heard from community members that parents need to exercise more authority on their children, and to teach them values that reflects well on their parents, families, villages and churches.

They also called for more involvement from family matai and village councils in school activities.

An orator from the village of Aua, Paopao Fiaui, says reports suggest 9 suspects in the stoning of the school bus last week are from his village.

He says the incident will be discussed at the village council meeting on Wednesday.

"And then we will discuss this, it really does hurt me because that's a bad name for my village, although there are kids from other villages involved."

Paopao Fiaui says they will also decide punishment of the culprits once authorities confirm they were involved.