How Did Mele Segisolo Lapana Die? Police Officer’s Cause of Death Explained

Family Weeps police officer was killed the day before Christmas after being shot.

What Happened to Mele Segisolo Lapana?

A Police Officer who was shot and died in the early hours of Saturday, December 24, 2022, is Samoa’s newest victim of domestic violence.

The victim’s family disputes the use of the word “de facto,” claiming the pair were merely dating and their daughter was still living with her parents. The police acknowledge they have detained and charged the victim’s de facto boyfriend with murder.

Social media has been swamped with condolence posts remembering Mele Segisolo Lapana as a faithful friend, a kindhearted person, and an outgoing individual who will be deeply missed.

To reflect the intense hardship their family is going through, her older sister, a registered nurse, posts from New Zealand. “She’s the youngest of all of us.

As a faagalo oe si ou uso e pele I lou fatu, ou te leiloa pe faapefea ona faagalo oe. “Our parents pray day and night for you to be safe in your work [as a police officer], but this is how you’ve been snatched from us,” the child said. Several people have urged “Justice for Mele” or “justice4mele” on behalf of the distraught Lapana family.

#justice4Mele

“A new study by UNODC and UN Women shows that, on average, more than five women or girls were killed every hour by someone in their own family in 2021.

The Report is a horrific reminder that violence against women and girls is one of the most pervasive human rights violations worldwide.

Samoa’s efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls as well as domestic violence against children often fail to address the issues at the core; such as behaviors that perpetrate Power and Control, and the Cycle of Violence.

Several Myths drive common beliefs such as using misinterpreted foundations of Culture and Christianity to condone gender-based Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence.”

Mele Segisolo Lapana Cause of Death

The event was initially reported by police in a Saturday morning Facebook post, which stated that “the de facto partner of the Police Officer was being interviewed.”

A police update report on Christmas eve claimed that the officer’s partner had been charged with murder a few hours later. (Nothing that the police used the term “de facto partner”).

Suspect’s Criminal History

According to sources, the accused is also a former police officer, and the couple has a history of domestic violence, with the accused displaying signs of dominating behavior and extreme jealousy. The accused is being held in jail, according to the police, “and will do so until the 30 January 2023 for mention in Court.”

Suspect’s Motive

The victim’s older sister told SGN that she is aware that her baby sister’s boyfriend has been torturing her for a long time, but that she was scared to notify anybody for fear that he would threaten her with a pistol. Concerning her sister’s case, Muavae Janson claims that gun laws, the ownership of guns, the prevalence of drugs, particularly methamphetamine in Samoa, and other issues need to be examined.

Muavae claims, “I’ve seen posts in the past that suggest he is on narcotics.”A woman from Siumu and Salailua passed away earlier this month while living at Fasitoo Uta with her husband’s family.

Autopsy reports

During a press conference, Deputy Police Commissioner Papalii Monalisa Tiai-Keti informed the media that the victim’s face was covered with wounds and that there were noticeable bruises under her chin. Police reported at the time that no arrests had been made and that they were awaiting the results of an autopsy.

UNODC and UN Women report

According to a recent UNODC and UN Women report, more than five women or girls were killed by a member of their own family on average per hour in 2021. The Report serves as a horrifying reminder of how pervasive violence against women and girls is throughout the world.

Samoa’s efforts to end violence against women and girls, as well as domestic abuse of children, frequently fall short of resolving the fundamental problems, such as behaviors that uphold Power and Control and the Cycle of Violence.

Other myths that underlie widespread views include the use of misapplied cultural and religious tenets to justify gender-based domestic and intimate partner violence.