Allegedly beating daughter with extension cord lands a father in jail

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A father accused of beating up his 15-year-old daughter using an extension cord is now in custody after he was arrested by police officers last week.

According to the government’s case, it was on Dec. 30th, 2021, when the Tafuna Police Substation received a report regarding a girl being assaulted by her father. The father was later identified as Faimanifo Malaulu, the defendant in this case.

The government alleges that defendant had hit his daughter several times on both forearms and shoulder area, causing multiple lacerations on the victim’s arms and shoulder.

An investigation also disclosed this incident occurred while the victim was in her room and her mother and her other siblings were in other rooms. Investigators also discovered that this has been an ongoing occurrence where the defendant would assault his daughter, as well as her siblings often.

When these incidents occurred, the victim would go to her uncle for shelter. The victim’s uncle stated to investigators that this was an ongoing occurrence — and that his niece (victim) and her siblings would come to him for shelter; as they would tell him they had been assaulted by their father.

The defendant was arrested and transported to the police station for questioning. After he was Mirandized, the defendant waived his constitutional rights and confessed to assaulting his daughter using an extension cord.

Malaulu made his initial appearance this week.

He is charged with a single count of abuse of a child, a class D felony, punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 5 years, a fine of up to $5,000 or both.

Bail is set at $10,000.