Alleged beating of 12-year-old in Ha'ano [1]
Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - 14:12. Updated on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 - 14:13.
A 12-year-old boy from Ha'ano was allegedly beaten up several times with a piece of timber and a machete. Ha'apai Police expect to arrest two male suspects in relation to the incident on the small island of Ha’ano.
Chief Inspector ‘Okusitino Peleki of the Ha’apai Police district said today they received the complaint filed by the victim’s mother and the victim's statement.
He said policemen were expected to go to Ha’ano to arrest the two male suspects who are aged between 18 to 20 years.
The incident is reported to have occurred on the afternoon of Saturday, 29 August. One of the suspects had first allegedly beaten-up the boy spanking him three times on the buttocks with a piece of timber, outside a church hall in Ha’ano village.
The child from Muitoa then walked home after the first beating. He met the suspect who was walking with another man in an area between Muitoa and Ha'ano village. They again allegedly hit him on the buttocks with a piece of timber before forcing him to a nearby bush area, laid him down and whipped him again on the buttocks using not only the timber but a machete, police reported.
The boy then limped home severely bruised and told his mother who reported the incident to police. The victim, a Form 1 student, knew the two suspects.
CIP Peleki said since they had completed taking the victim’s statement the police officers were just waiting on an available boat to go to Ha’ano to make the arrest.