Kori’s cousin was not just using violence against his partner to assert control and power. He was doing it in front of everyone else to assert power and control over them too. He used the pain and suffering of his partner to emotional abuse his other family members and shows them what he was capable of. The violence drove Kori to react with violence himself and the family has now been torn apart as a result. Case Study 22: Afereti’s* tragic attack37 Afereti had been drinking heavily at a fami ly gathering. He had ordered his wife to go and get another four large bottles of beer from the nearby store on credit, which she duly did. At 7pm the family sat down to eat but Afereti decided to take his remaining one and a half beers to his neighbour’s house, where his brother, Onosai, was also drinking. With him, he also took his extremely sharp sapelu (machete). His behaviour was aggressive from the moment he arrived, wielding his sapelu in a threatening manner. Onosai asked him to stop but Afereti’s response was to put the blade to his brother’s neck. He then struck him on his hand, drawing blood. As Onosai tried to back away, Afereti attacked again but the sapelu got caught in an overhanging electrical wire and cut all power to the house. The ensuing darkness brought the gathering to a close and Afereti was led away by his sons. As they were walking away Afreti grabbed his oldest son, Taumafai, and pulled him close as they walked along, taking Taumafai’s smaller knife from him. Afereti’s wife had run away at the first sign of trouble and he wanted to know where she was hiding so questioned Taumafai who he suspected of knowing where she was. However, Taumafai denied knowing and every time Afereti asked he got more and more angry. Afereti raised his right hand with the knife in it and Taumafai tried to escape but he was still in his father’s clutches. Afereti drew him towards him once more and struck him with the knife three times. Taumafai ran to a neighbour’s house for help but his father had cut his throat to the bone, severing the major arteries and veins in his neck. He collapsed and died. Afereti was convicted of manslaughter and assault on his brother. He is currently serving 15 years in Tafaigata prison. *Names changed to protect the identities of those involved. Afereti’s desire to control and exert power over everyone in his family led to Taumafai’s senseless death and is a stark warning of the consequences of violence within a family. Afereti had initially gone to 37 Police v Maposua, [2017] WSSC 150. Reported at http://www.paclii.org/cgibin/sinodisp/ws/cases/WSSC/2017/150.html?stem=&synonyms=&query=stab. Accessed 30 May 2018.