Case Study 18: Malia*and the slippery slope of violence Malia met her partner in the 90s and he quickly started being violent towards her, starting off with a few slaps here and then and occasionally punching her. He got jealous every time she took her child from a previous relationship to kindergarten and the violence would often follow. Malia left her partner and went overseas to get away but came back and they had their first child together. During the first year of being back together, things were not any better so Malia told her partner she was leaving. He returned to the room with a picture of her daughter and a golf club. He hit her with the golf club with such force that the head broke off. After Malia left her partner, he tried to persuade her back and even sent his sister to appeal on his behalf but she feared for her life and that of her child and never returned back. *Names changed to protect the identities of those involved. It appears that violence not only within relationships becomes worse over time, but in society generally as it becomes more acceptable it worsens across the board and becomes more visible, thus having a greater impact on the people who witness it. The common traits seen in some of these cases were confirmed to the Inquiry by professionals working in the field of IPV. Ms. Savalenoa Betham-Annandale, a family law practitioner reported that 100% of her clients: • • • • • Have suffered over an extended period (for example throughout a 20 year marriage); Have been hospitalized with severe injuries (for example one victim had a broken rib, black eyes and internal bruises); Have been beaten in front of the children and heard their children’s cries (for example one child called out, ‘that’s enough daddy, please do not); Have reported each incident to the mother in law, or other family friends and as a result the mother in law beat her up or the family members ignored her; Have forgiven the husband or partner for the first incident and did not report because of fear. Throughout the drafting of the Report similar cases appeared almost daily in the papers, including two extremely concerning instances, which highlighted how the nature of IPV appears to be worsening to such a degree it is spilling out onto the streets: The first case involved a mother who was stabbed in the chest multiple times by her husband at night on a road on the outskirts of Apia. The stabbing occurred in front of her children who witnessed the whole event.28 28 Refer to Samoa Observer. “Man stabs wife in public.” (20 July 2017). Retrieved from http://www.samoaobserver.ws/en/20_07_2017/local/22387/Man-stabs-wife-in-public.htm. Document 112 Inquiry anthology.