APIA – A domestic violence activist in Samoa says a police officer telling women to “think carefully before they waste paper making a statement”, shows the need for a change in attitude and mindset within the police force.

Tuiloma Sina Retzlaff says the police inspector made the comments while presenting at the Ministry of Women Community and Social Development’s launch of 16 Days of Activism.

The controversial statementwas made on White Ribbon Day, just hours after Samoa’s Police Commissioner, Egon Keil, had led a march against violence against women in Apia.

Retzlaff says inspector’s comments were contradictory to a “break the silence, stop the violence” campaign the police are leading, which invites victims to have the courage to step forward and report domestic violence.

She says the officer had also suggested that everything can be solved in the matrimonial bed, and that there are levels of incidents not worth reporting.

“It was surprising to hear a message that basically said to women, ‘think carefully before you come forward, because we don’t want to waste paper on a statement when you’re just going to run in the next morning, and drop the charges’.”

Retzlaff says these comments drive home that fact that people don’t understand the nature of intimate partner violence, and greater education is needed.

She says there’s a deeply rooted mindset that needs to be addressed by police officers, and they need to move away from the belief that the victim “deserves” what they get.

Retzlaff says she would like to see a holistic approach taken, where people that are first to respond to victims of domestic violence can better understand what intimate partner violence is.

“What it is not, is a one-off event, or a one-off incident of momentary lapses of reason, or a one-off incident of being angry about something. It is sustained controlling behaviour by one partner in an intimate partner relationship on the other.”

She says intimate partner violence includes mental, physical, psychological and financial abuse and the police need to understand it takes courage, and is not a pleasant experience, for victims to come forward.

Retzlaff says what also needs to be understood is that when victims come forward, they’re not coming forward at the first incident.

She says they are coming forward when they’ve had enough, and have been pushed to a boundary that they can no longer handle. - Observer

Protester climbs crane on Nauru

YAREN – An Iranian asylum seeker has climbed atop a large construction crane on Nauru to highlight the plight of children being held on the Pacific island.

He has a sign which reads: “World: Kids in Nauru need help”.

An estimated 90 children are being held on the island as part Australia’s offshore processing policy.

The asylum seeker, known by his first201 name Reza, has told the ABC his crane-top protest is calling for the release of all of Nauru’s younger detainees.

“I have just one message from all kids in Nauru. All kids in Nauru need their freedom,” he said.

He said he wants to bring attention to the policies of the Australian government, and the need for it to assist children and families in detention and in refugee resettlement programs on Nauru.

Earlier this week, a bill to remove all children from onshore immigration detention centres passed the Senate with the support of the Greens, Labor and crossbenchers.

The amended Migration and Maritime Powers Amendment Bill (No.1) will now return to the House of Representatives, where it is likely to be rejected by the government majority.

The bill’s amendments did not include provisions to remove children from offshore immigration detention centres, such as Nauru. - ABC

MPs' treatment 'outrageous'

SYDNEY – A former Australian judge of Nauru’s highest court says the treatment of current opposition MPs in the country is “outrageous”.

Geoffrey Eames, who had his visa cancelled last year and was sacked as Chief Justice, says it’s very hard to communicate with people in the country, as dissent is no longer tolerated.

Opposition MPs involved in a peaceful protest outside parliament in June had their passports cancelled, and three of them of have been charged.

Eames says the treatment of Roland Kun, who has not been charged, and can’t travel to see his family in New Zealand, is particularly harsh.

“You’ve got for example a member of parliament, who’s had his passport removed, whose wife and children are in New Zealand. They can’t get to him, he can’t get to them, and this is just tolerated by government, and he’s not been charged with any offence. This is just outrageous conduct.”

Eames says Australia’s silence on the breakdown of the rule of law has been “pathetically weak”. - RNZI