 Written by: Jennifer Tofaeono, Ex Director, Alliance
Traveling off island has become a laborious process. Unfortunately, for victims of domestic violence who chose to leave their abusers, leaving the island adds another layer of difficulty. Victims who feel unsafe as abusers begin to increase their acts of intimidation and violence, have no other decision but to travel off island to relocate. Vanessa had separated from her husband 6 months earlier with her children. She had obtained a court protection order (CPO), requiring her abuser to stay away and have no contact with a Protected Person. Like many other victims, Vanessa’s husband continued to harass and intimidate her. She reported he would still come to the home. Initially he would stay outside, but his visits were becoming more frequent. He would yell profanities, banging on the door while she and her children remained locked inside. She would call the police and they would remind the perpetrator of the CPO, requiring that he leave the premises. By the time Vanessa walked into my office, her abuser had broken into her home again, but this time he had a weapon. She was frightened for her life, as well as her children’s, and felt the best decision was to leave American Samoa. There are countless stories where women face huge barriers leaving an abuser. Many abusers control the finances and women have limited financial assistance when it is time to leave an extremely violent situation. Other women, like Vanessa, have traveled long distances to escape their abusers, moving to different locations. Starting May 2022, the Alliance is offering the program, “Malaga mo Sulufaiga” funded by Family Violence Prevention Services Act (FVPSA) American Rescue Plan (ARP) for victims of domestic violence who need assistance for relocation. The program will offer victim assistance travel funds based on need. Follow us as we provide more information or contact our office media@asadsv.com. Photo: The Alliance does not own the photo, and we do not take credit for the image used. The photo was retrieved from: https://www.tanikal.com/en/silhouette-woman-looks-window-flying-airplane/
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