Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A man was arrested by police pursuant to an arrest warrant on the allegation that he attempted to rape a 16-year-old girl at her residence.

The man made his initial appearance in District Court last month.

(Samoa News has chosen not to release the name of the defendant or the village in which the attempted rape occurred to protect the young victim.)

According to the government’s case, it was on Sept. 21, 2021 when the Leone Police Substation (LPS) received a distress phone call from a woman stating that her 16-year-old cousin was allegedly raped and she requested police assistance.

Several police officers responded to the call and met up with the woman who reported the matter waiting for police to arrive in front of her residence. The reporter briefed officers about what happened and later pointed out the side of the house where the alleged rapist entered.

The reporter, along with the victim were both transported to the LPS for further investigation before officers proceeded to the defendant’s house in an effort to locate him.

When questioned by police, the victim’s cousin stated that she had just got off from work and was on her way home, when she saw her 16-year-old cousin (victim) crying in front of her house. She asked her cousin about what had happened and her cousin told her about the incident and what the defendant had done to her.

The cousin immediately contacted the LPS and informed them about the alleged incident.

According to the victim, she was sleeping when she felt someone trying to pull her pants down. She immediately woke up and saw the defendant sitting on her bed. The victim told police that when she woke up, the defendant whispered to her not to make any noises.

The government alleges that the defendant tried to shut the victim up and forcefully touched her inappropriately — leaving a mark on the area he touched.

The victim then grabbed a flashlight that was behind her head and struck the defendant’s hands and that was when she escaped from him and ran to the bathroom, where she broke down and cried.

A few minutes later, the victim saw her cousin (reporter) that had just got off from work, and explained to her what had happened.

 Officers arrived at the defendant’s residence and observed a female individual in the defendant’s house. She was later identified as the defendant’s girlfriend.

The defendant’s girlfriend informed officers that the defendant was in the house but he was sleeping. Officers asked if they could speak to him, but the girlfriend told officers that she can’t wake him up.

Officers asked the female about 4- 5 times if they could talk to the defendant, but she refused saying he was very tired and he needed sleep. After further consultation with officers, the female individual agreed to allow officers into her residence to wake the defendant.

Officers went into the defendant’s room, woke him up and apprehended him before transporting him to the LPS for questioning regarding this matter, along with his girlfriend.

After Mirandizing the defendant, he made a statement about the incident.

Without police notifying him of the alleged incident that was reported, he stated that the victim is his daughter and he did not do anything bad to her.

He told officers that he was at the victim’s residence to watch over her because her mom was not there. He said every time he visited the victim’s residence the mom was not there and he always sleeps there to watch over her (victim).

On the date the incident is alleged to have happened, the defendant said he saw a taxi approaching the victim’s residence and that’s when the victim chased him away. He then told the victim that her mom was right about her and told her, “You’re shameless.”

Officers observed the defendant was holding his hand as if it was broken and asked the defendant how he injured his hand. The defendant said he fell down from the roof of his house.

Officers asked the defendant again if it was from him falling or from the flashlight that the victim allegedly used to strike him. He replied that it was from the fall.

While interviewing the defendant, he was asked if he was under the influence of alcohol and he confessed that he has been drinking since the night before until then. He verbally stated that he had had 4 packs of beer.

The defendant had a strong odor of alcohol emitting from his breath and body. He was later transported to the Territorial Correctional Facility (TCF) where he was booked and confined to await the next sitting of the court.

The defendant is charged with one count of 1st degree burglary, one count of attempted rape and one count of 1st degree sexual abuse, all felonies.

Bail is set at $25,000.