Crime In Samoa
pp. 27-28 · Read in the full issue
From Our Own Correspondent.
Apia, Feb. 13.
JUDGE J. H. LUXFORD arrived recently from New Zealand by the Maui Po mare, on circuit, and presided at the High Court of Samoa on February 8, when a number of cases were tried.
There were several sexual offences of a serious character on the calendar.
The most serious case was that in which a native of Saleaula (Savaii) was prosecuted for rape on a young Samoan girl. The unanimous verdict of the four assessors (three Europeans and one Sa moan) was “guilty,” and the judge, con curring with the verdict, sentenced the accused to seven years’ imprisonment with hard labour. In a second rape case, several Samoans of Aleipata district were found guilty by the jury, and sentenced to five and three years’ imprisonment respectively.
In a case of forgery of documents, sev eral Samoans, after pleading guilty, were sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. A few cases of theft and burglary were also tried before Judge Luxford.
IT was announced from Paris, during the Melbourne Centenary Air Race, that France shortly would organise a similar competition—“probably to some distant colony, such as New Hebrides.”
Nothing further has been heard of the project, however. Such a spectacular event certainly would place some of the Pacific Islands Territories on the world’s map—particularly New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.