By Linny Folau

Four murder cases arose out of violent domestic disputes this year, the most recent on May 22 with the death of a 23-year-old wife at Fangaloto.

More alarming is that this death is the sixth murder case since September 2008, said the Commander of the Tonga Police Chris Kelley yesterday, June 1.

Police investigations point to an obvious cause of the four deaths arising out of domestic violence caused by relationship conflicts and the couples' inability to resolve it and then resorting to extreme violence.

Relationship conflicts

With regards to other factors such as alcohol, the Commander said it may have contributed to one particular incidence but overall it was clear that the four cases were caused by relationship conflicts between the husband and wife and within the family.

"People need to change their attitude and acknowledge the fact that violence is never acceptable. Because you cannot put the blame on anyone but the individuals. It is the attitude, because why would you want to hurt the people you love the most," the Commander said.

He stressed that the community needed to work together to change this type of attitude of harming women and children. The Tonga Police have a Domestic Violence Unit and want people to easily report cases to them.

540 cases

"We strongly support the organisations devoted to addressing domestic violence problems thus help to raise awareness that the hurting of women and children is not acceptable."

The Commander added that in the past 21 months around 540 cases of domestic violence were reported to them. "I think this is just a tip of the iceberg", he added.

Deaths

On May 29 Deputy Commander Taniela Faletau confirmed that a

33-year-old man from Tofoa was charged with the murder of his 23-year-old wife in Fangaloto, Popua, on May 22, the sixth murder charge since September 2008.

He confirmed the case as the fourth arising out of domestic violence but no details have been released at this stage. The accused appeared in the Nuku'alofa Magistrate's Court on May 27 and remains in police custody.

The three other domestic violence murder cases involved husband-wife disputes, which included a 30-year-old man charged with the murder of his 22-year-old wife in Vaini earlier in February.

The second incident took place in April in 'Uiha, Ha'apai where a 20 year old man was charged with the murder of a 33 year old woman. The third incident took place last month when a 28-year-old woman was charged with the murder of her 39-year-old sister in law at Mataki'eua.

Alarming

The Tonga National Centre for Women and Children (TNCWC) in a statement on May 22 expressed dismay and called for action after the needless death of the young wife at Fangaloto.

The Centre reported that the woman involved had reported her husband to the Police Domestic Violence Unit. While awaiting a court hearing scheduled for May 23 the victim was killed at her uncle's home where she had sought refuge from her husband.

"This death is absolutely alarming!" said the general manager of the TNCWC, 'Ofa Likiliki

"It's a big wake up call that all parts of society need to step up efforts in dealing with domestic violence if we are to avoid another needless death. We need to look at the process and ask where are we going wrong? How could the death of this woman have been avoided? Should we be holding perpetrators behind bars while they await trial?"

Urgent action needed

She said six deaths in eight months is a clear sign that "our traditional ways of living are collapsing and that we do not know how to resolve conflict in a way that is not violent."

"It's not just a matter of talking about this incident and forgetting it - a murder impacts on the safety and mindset of everyone who is in the community. We need to go back to basics and discuss non-violent conflict resolution in schools and communities."

'Ofa said it is critical that Tonga does something about it now to promote non-violent conflict resolution.

"The key stakeholders in society including the government, churches, schools, families and workplaces, need to take urgent action before we loose more lives," she urged.