Woman slain in brutal attack in Samoa

APIA – As Samoa continues to debate the ongoing issue of violence against women, what appears to be a brutal murder has shocked Samoa.

A family and villagers at Faleula-uta are coming to terms with the death of woman who was savagely stabbed during the early hours of Sunday morning.

The body of the woman, who is in her early 40s, was found by some young men who went to fetch some coconut leafs for their Sunday umu.

A witness who spoke to the Samoa Observer on the condition of anonymity said the body was found not far from her home.

“The woman was naked when she was found,” she said. “The Police were called and they came and took her away.”

The witness said the beating is believed to have happened on Sunday morning.

“There were bruises all over her body,” she said.

“There injuries on her cheeks. From what I saw, it looked like the murderer stabbed her with a knife. I think the person even used some rocks during the attack to inflict further injuries.”

The dead woman is not from Faleula-uta but she lived closed to the area where she was found.

“Everyone around here is shocked,” the witness said. “It was disturbing and it’s very distressful.”