Lasike acquitted of criminal charges

‘Ofa ‘o poto ‘a Lasike - ‘Ofa ki Tonga, Long Beach, California
`Oku `i ai pe `a e fiefia na`e `ikai ke mo`ua `a e `Eiki Nopele ko Lasike, `i he hopo ko ia na`e tukuaki`i ai ia ki he hia matea ko ia ko e Tohotoho. Kapau na`e mo`ua ko e mei toki me`a fakamamahi ia ki Ha`a Havea pea mo e hou`eiki, pea ko e toki me`a ia ke `ulupunou ai `a kimautolu `oku mau teke `a e langi `o e fonua.
Kaneongo ha me`a ke fefe, ko e ngaahi hopo tohotoho ko e taha ia `o e ngaahi hopo faingata`a mo`oni ke fakamo`oni`i ke a`u ki he `ikai ha toe tatala`a, `o makatu`unga ai hano tu`utu`uni ke halaia `a e faka`iloa. `Oku `ikai ke puli ia pe unga ki ha taha `a e tu`unga vaivai `o e kakai fefine `i he hoko `a e ngaahi me`a pehe ni, `o fa`afa`a lahi ange `enau ma`ema`ekina koe`uhi ko honau ongoongo lelei, pea fa`a taimi lahi `enau fa`a falala vale ki he matu`a tangata kae hoko ia `o taku `e he Fakamaau`anga ko e fakamo`oni ia `o e loto pe ki ai.
Lasike, ki`i fakatuotuai hifo `a e fakafiefia`i ho`o hao `i he hopo ka ke ki`i fakafanongo mai ange. `Oku ke monu`ia koe`uhi ko e tu`utu`uni `a Tu`i Fakamaau Lahi, ka `oku `ikai ko e me`a ia `oku hoko `i he Me`afua Tautau `a e Fonua mo e Nonofo `a Kainga.
Kuo ke fakangalivale`i `a `Ene `Afio, ko ia Ia na`a Ne falala atu kiate koe `o mokoi ai hono finangalo ke foaki mo fakanofo koe ki he hingoa tukufakaholo ko e Lasike. Kuo `ulu punou `a Ha`a Havea `i ho`o fokotu`u ko ia `a e me`a fakahisitolia ko e fuofua `eiki nopele ke hopo `i he Fakamaau`anga Lahi ko e tukuaki`i ki he tohotoho. Kuo tangi `a lo`imata `a e tama `a Kaukauloka pe ko `afee nai `e mangalo ai `a e fakalavea kuo ke fai ki hono mafu tefua! Kuo takaea kotoa `a e kainga `oku nofo `i he tofi`a `o Lasike, pea maa `a e kainga kotoa `o Tu`uhetoka `i he Kolongatata. Kuo mamahi fau mo e kainga mei he fakatokelau `o e `Otu Tonga ka `oku nau `ukuma pe mo lolongo he ko `enau fanautama.
Na`e ava hake pe `a e Fale Alea pea ke toe taki `i hono `ai `o e fo`i Ngalivale ko ia, he taumaia `oku ke `ilo`i ha me`a ki he Lao, ka ke lele muimui he fa`ahinga koee `o kau ki he tuhu ki he `Umata! Manatu kia Ikanamoe, kia Tu`umeihetoka, pea kia Fisilaumoli. Kuo mau ofa mo manatu kia Saletili.
Ko ho`o `eiki nopele ko e tokotaha ko ia na`a ne fakanofo koe! Ko e teke`i pe `a Lei mei Hono fu`u mei, ko e motu`a pe koe `e fuofua male`ei. Hou`eiki Nopele, mou me`a ke ma`u, pea `ulungaanga faka`ei`eiki ke ngali ko kimoutolu `oku hou`eiki. `Oua `e teitei ngalo `iate kimoutolu na`e `i ai homau tokolahi ne mau kaunga lahi ange ki hono matua`i `o e fonua, ka na`a mau tukulolo mo `ofa `i he `Uluaki Fa `o tukulolo ki he hala na`a ne tofa. Kapau kuo mou fiu he `eiki pea hela`ia he hoko ko hono ngaahi toukupu`inima…….. mou mavahe ki tafa`aki ka mau hu atu kimautolu `o `eiki `o malu`i `a Tupou.
Lasike, `ofa `o ako mo poto a hena! - ‘Ofa ki Tonga

Malo ‘Ofa ki Tonga - Puatoka, Nuku‘alofa, Tonga
Malo ‘Ofa-ki-Tonga ‘a e lave mahalo kuo sai ke tuku ke paasi ‘a e fo’i pulu ko ia ke ‘alu, he ‘oku ‘ikai ke ma’u ai ha lelei ‘a’au mo au mo e toenga ‘o e kainga, he na’e ‘ikai te ke ‘i ai, mo au foki, kuo ‘osi aofangatuku ’ e tu’utu’u’uni ‘a e ‘eiki Fakamaaulahi pea tau ngata ai, tau move on ‘o tau taki taha fai ‘ene ngaue takitaha ki he Famili mo e Lotu mo e Fonua foki. - Puatoka

Lasike - Mrs L. Moana, New Zealand
This is a note about the recent acquittal of the noble Lasike on the charges of rape and indecent assault.

While I feel as though I shouldn't be surprised at the outcome of the trial, I can‘t stop myself from shaking my head and wondering if justice was truly served. Or if once again a person's status has allowed them to commit actions that others would be justly punished for.

We have seen this injustice time and again in Tonga. A person of title or nobility steals from another and is not punished as a commoner would be. Instead they claim medical troubles and use their money and power to escape the due punishment. We don'’t call it stealing, of course, that wouldn'’t be proper. Rather it is called embezzlement or bribery. However we should all realise that stealing is stealing regardless of what name we call it and thieves and rapists truly are criminals regardless of their names and titles.

I cannot claim to know if Lasike actually raped that young woman. It is possible that she lied. However, I believe it is also very possible that this man used his power, —both physical and social, —to enable him to have sex with her. Although times are changing rapidly (too much so in my opinion) I cannot believe that a Tongan woman would find it easy to bring false charges against a man in Lasike's position. Perhaps he didn'’t tie her up and force himself upon her but it is almost certain that she would have never consented to sexual contact unless he used his societal powers as a man and a noble. Both nobles and common men should be respected, but in return women should be honoured and not used and then humiliated in order for men to feel better about themselves.

If her allegations are true I want this young woman to know that I respect and admire her for standing up and confronting a criminal. Though justice may not have been served today in Tonga thankfully God knows what really happened in that hotel room and in the end the guilty party will face the True Judge once and for all. May He be merciful but also just and may His glory be exalted in all lands and among all peoples, titled and common.

Some of our nobles would be wise to read Mark 10:31. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first….” For some people power and honour are only earthly. Things will be very different in the world to come for those who are not pure in heart.

With much love to Tonga and all her peoples from the depths of my heart,

Mrs. L. Moana - New Zealand

Rape trial - Roisina Hauiti - Tauranga, New Zealand:
Correct me if I am wrong, but the Judges presiding over the courts in Tonga are non Tongan Males are they not?

From a gender perspective, I am constantly mortified when males are called to preside over rape trials. Irrespective of culture, the psyche of a woman differs to that of a man. When a woman says no, she means no. She can be plied with all manner of coercion which may weaken and wear down her resolve, but as far as the law is concerned and especially law dispensed by males, no offence has taken place.

Giving in doesn'’t necessarily mean a consensus took place. After such a traumatic event, I seriously doubt any woman would want to expound to strangers, especially those looking to discredit her, the intricacies of her emotional deficiencies and the accused that led to violation.

From the high profile cases I have been privy to attend over the years, the complainant…’s reputation is always brought in to question. Does she engage in frequent sexual activity and if so does she have multiple partners. It…’s offensive and yet the same accusatory tone and stigma is not heaped upon the high profile accused. As well, or if this tactic fails, then her account of events is discredited. When she said no, she will be portrayed as having really said yes through responses to tactics geared to undermine her resolve.

In New Zealand recently rape charges were brought against several former and New Zealand Police Officers …– one of them highly ranked. Said to have taken place in the 80…’s, they were found not guilty. The complainant, Louise Nichols, was said to have consented. However the public of New Zealand and I am certain in Tonga are not stupid. What possible advantage would these women have in making such accusations, risking exposure and humiliation? It is true that some women cry wolf, but truly they would have to be the minority. In the minds of those who are fair and level headed, there remains doubt as to the innocence of those accused.

Such tactics are not necessary when dealing with your average pervert/thug - because the law sees fit to ““protect”” us from them. The complainants are by and large treated well, the agenda at hand being to deal to social menaces. Often these menaces are without means, quality education and decent reasoning skills …– or they are psychopaths.

In any case they can be adequately and easily absorbed in to the penal and mental health systems. However to find guilty people such as nobles and Police Officers– and in the case of the latter not just one, but several is a huge deal because public confidence in government or hierarchy is at stake.Unless there are reputable witnesses with rock solid evidence corroborating the complainant's claims, there is ample room to manoeuvre” the course of justice. This is where an alleged “no” can be converted to “consensus and where the emotional state of the woman at the time of incident can be manipulated to advantage by clever lawyers. Further it can be exacerbated by a cultural climate that is wary of calling the “trusted” to account.

I have not the details of the Lasike case, these comments are musings on observations I have made on high profile cases in New Zealand, the UK and USA.

Rosina Hauiti - Tauranga, New Zealand