The mother of 14-years-old Malia Pelenatita Kolo, who was brutally beaten to death with a heavy stick, hammer and a watering hose, will be sentenced on Wednesday, May 7 in the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court.
The 34-year-old mother Fifita ‘Ofa and her brother, Tomasi Ofa, 37, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, while the de-facto partner of the dead girl’s father, Mohulamu Toumohuni, 42 , pleaded guilty to abetment to bodily harm.
The trio appeared before Justice Charles Cato on Friday, May 1, for sentencing.
The court heard Malia Kolo left her mother in Kolonga in 2013 and did not return for several weeks, when Toumohuni saw her in a flea market in Nuku’alofa on August10 of that year.
After Toumohuni contacting the mother Malia was then taken to ‘Umusi where ‘Ofa beat the girl all over her body with a sialemohe stick (a type of leucaena plant). After beating her for two hours the large stick broke into two pieces.
At one stage Kolo tried to escape but Toumohuni tackled her and brought her back to her mother.
The mother continued beating her daughter, who sustained multiple blunt injuries, severe bruising and fractures.
On the same day ‘Ofa took her daughter to Kolonga, stopping at the home of Tomasi Ofa, the girl’s uncle.
The court was told the uncle beat the helpless girl again with a piece of watering hose and a hammer for about an hour and only stopped when the hammer hit Kolo on her fingers, causing them to bleed.
The 14-year-old was taken to Kolonga the next day, August 11. Because of her injuries she was made to wear a diaper and left neglected for days.
A health officer who visited the village several days later discovered her lying helpless and in great pains.
The health officer ordered that the girl be admitted immediately to hospital on August 15.
Kolo was admitted to Vaiola Hospital’s intensive care unit, but died the following day.
A post modem report says the victim died as a result of severe infection and sepsis and multiple organ failure. The victim’s death could have been prevented if she was given immediate medical care according to the doctor.
Ongoongo Faka-Tonga
‘E hilifaki ‘i he ‘aho 7 ‘o Mee ni ‘i he fakamaau’anga lahi Nuku’alofa ‘a e tautea ‘o e fa’e na’e ha’ana e tama fefine ta’u 14 ko Malia Pelenatita Kolo ne pekia hili ia hono ta ‘o hange ha kehe ‘aki ‘a e va’a sialemohe, hamala mo e tiupi fana vai.
Na’e tali halaia ‘a e fa’e ta’u 34 ko Fifita ‘Ofa mo hono tuonga’ane ko Tomasi ‘Ofa, 37, ki he tamate tangata lolotonga ia ne tali halaia ‘a e fefine 'oku nofo mo e tamai ‘a e ki’i ta’ahine, Mohulamu Toumohuni, 42, ki hono poupou’i ha fakamamahi ki he sino.
Na’e ha ‘a e toko tolu ni ‘i he Falaite 1 ‘o Mee ‘i mu’a ‘ia Fakamaau Lahi Charles Cato ke fai honau tautea.
Na’e fanongoa ‘i he fakamaau’anga na’e mavahe ‘a Malia Kolo mei he’ene fa’ee ‘i Kolonga he 2013 pea ‘ikai toe foki hili ha ngaahi ‘aho ‘o toki fakatokanga’i ‘e Toumohuni ‘i ha fea ‘i Nuku’alofa ‘i ‘Aokosi ‘aho 10, 2013.
Hili e fetu’utaki ‘a Toumohuni ki he fa’e ‘a e ki’i fefine na’e uta leva ‘a Malia ki ‘Umusi ‘o ta tavale aki ‘e ‘Ofa ha fu’u va’a sialemohe ha feitu'u pe 'i hono sino ne ala ke tau ai ha ta. Hili ha houa ‘e ua ‘o e ta ko ‘eni na’e motu ua a e va’a siale mohe.
‘I he taimi ‘e taha lolotonga e taa na’e feinga ‘a Malia ke lele ka ne tekolo’i ia ‘e Toumohuni ‘o puke’i mai ki he’ene fa’e. Na’e hoko atu hono taa ‘o e ‘ofefine ni ‘o a’u ki he mafahifahi e konga ‘e ni’ihi ‘i hono sino, lavelavea pea takataka’uli mo fefulofulai.
‘I he ‘aho tatau pe ne nau fononga atu leva mo e ‘ofefine ni ke o ki Kolonga ka ne nau toe afe ‘i Veitongo ‘i he ‘api ‘ene fa’etangata, ‘a Tomasi ‘Ofa.
Na’e fakaha ki he fakamaau’anga na’e toe ta heni ‘e Tomasi a e ta’ahine ni ‘a ia kuo ‘ikai ke ne toe lava ha me’a ‘aki ‘a e housi vai mo ha hamala ‘i ha houa ‘e 1 pea toki tuku pe ko e tau ‘a e hamala ‘i hono ‘ulu’ulutuhu ‘o fetoto’i.
Nae ‘ave leva mei ai ‘a e ta’u 14 ni ki Kolonga ‘i he ‘aho hono hoko 11 ‘Aokosi. Koe’uhi ko ‘ene lavelavea pea ‘ikai toe lava ‘o tu’u na’e fakatui leva hono taipa ‘o li’aki ai ‘i ha ngaahi ‘aho.
Na’e fou mai ha ‘ofisa mo’ui he kolo ‘i ha ngaahi ‘aho ki mui ai ‘o ne fakatokanga’i ‘a e toka-mo e-kafa ‘a Malia mo ‘ene faingata’a’ia pea ne tu’utu’uni ai ke ‘ave leva he vave taha ki fale mahaki.
Na’e leleaki’i ‘a Kolo ki Vaiola he ‘aho 15 o fakatokoto ‘i he loki ngaahi mahaki fakatu’utamaki ‘a e falemahaki ka ne iku ‘o ne malolo ‘i he ‘aho 15 ‘Aokosi, 2013.
Na’e fai hono sivi hili ‘ene mate pea ne fakaha ki he fakamaau’anga ‘i ha lipooti na’e mate ‘a Malia tu’unga ‘i he fakapala ‘a hono ngaahi kafo pea ‘ikai toe lava ‘a e konga lahi ‘o e to’oto’onga ‘i he sino ke ngaue lelei. Na’e toe pehe ‘e he toketaa ka ne ‘ave pe ‘o faito’o kei taimi ‘e iku mo’ui pe ‘a Malia.
