LIHU‘E — Efforts to stamp out sexual abuse and domestic violence continue to run up against local tendencies to keep personal matters quiet, even as law enforcement officials work to put some alleged offenders behind bars. Consider the case of
LIHU‘E — Efforts to stamp out sexual abuse and domestic violence continue to run up against local tendencies to keep personal matters quiet, even as law enforcement officials work to put some alleged offenders behind bars.
Consider the case of Eaton Edward Rivera Jr., 19, of Waimea, who is accused of continually sexually assaulting a girl from when she was 6 to 8 years of age, and the victim won’t be 9 until November of this year.
Through Deputy Public Defender John Calma, he has pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial.
Rivera is accused, according to a grand jury indictment, of 15 counts of first-degree sexual assault (penetration), two counts of third-degree sexual assault (fondling), one count of fourth-degree sexual assault (exposing genitals), and one count of continuous sexual assault on a minor (three or more times of penetration or other sexual contact).
The alleged incidents began in the summer of 2007, the indictment came down in May of this year, the bench warrant was issued Aug. 12, and Rivera was arrested Aug. 13, according to court and Kaua‘i Police Department records.
Rivera is confined at Kaua‘i Community Correctional Center in lieu of $160,000 bail. A jury trial has been scheduled for Nov. 2, coinciding also with Rivera’s not-guilty plea and request for jury trial Tuesday on a contempt-of-court charge before 5th Circuit Judge Randal Valenciano.
Calma has requested the Children’s Justice Center videotaped interview with the alleged victim, as well as the grand jury proceeding on compact disc, according to court records.
A problem with sexual assaults on the island is that an estimated 60 percent of them go unreported, said Renae Hamilton, executive director of the YWCA of Kaua‘i.
“It’s a very high percentage” that varies year to year, she said.
And the close-knit nature of the island community, which can be a means of support, can also work against sexual assault prevention, she said.
“People know everybody,” Hamilton said, and trying to keep things confidential is “one of the biggest obstacles,” especially since 80 to 90 percent of victims know their offenders, either as good friends or family members.
How the tight-knit community could work as an advantage to slow the numbers of sexual assaults would be for the community to believe and support victims. “And we have room for improvement in that area,” both on Kaua‘i, statewide and nationally, Hamilton said.
“Taking safety precautions are good for everybody.”
The community’s focus should be on holding perpetrators accountable, which will help reduce assault rates, help determine why sex assaults happened in the first place, and let victims know that such attacks are never their fault, she said.
“It’s not OK. We have to totally eliminate this cycle of violence,” said Hamilton in a telephone interview.
Recently, there have been several arrests and court cases involving men accused of sexual assault.
Pleading not guilty and requesting a jury trial on 12 sexual-assault charges and kidnapping earlier this month was Kenneth O’Neil Brown Makanani, 30, of Lihu‘e, who was arrested on a grand jury warrant also earlier this month, according to KPD and court records.
He is accused of eight counts of first-degree sexual assault, two counts of attempted first-degree sexual assault, one count of attempted second-degree sexual assault, third-degree sexual assault and kidnapping.
Calma, representing Makanani, requested a bail study and discovery (prosecution evidence) before Valenciano, who granted both requests. Makanani is being held at KCCC on $235,000 bail.
Sentenced by Watanabe earlier this month to six months in jail and probation was Anthony Jakeman, who earlier pleaded guilty to charges of family abuse, terroristic threatening and criminal property damage.
Watanabe ordered him to get substance-abuse and domestic-violence treatment and submit to regular tests for alcohol.
In addition to law-enforcement, prosecution and community attempts to rid the island of sex abuse and domestic violence, there is also a multi-agency task force working to reduce the incidence of domestic violence on the island through awareness, education and other means.
The Kaua‘i Domestic Violence Prevention Task Force and its formed subcommittees meet at least once a month, with a goal of preventing domestic violence.
“Recent events could make this a ‘teachable moment,’” said Linda Pizzitola, task force coordinator for the YWCA.
Among the recent events is a husband accused of murdering his wife in Lihu‘e, and the tragic case of Angela Miller Warnock, the 1990 Miss Kaua‘i who died after she was stabbed over 50 times by her husband, in front of their two daughters.
Joseph Warnock faces up to 55 years in prison under a plea agreement struck in Indiana, where the crime took place. Joseph Warnock, intoxicated on drugs and alcohol at the time of the incident, is scheduled to be sentenced in Indiana Oct. 9.
Angela Warnock, who attended St. Catherine’s School in Kapa‘a, was planning to divorce her husband and had a protective order against him when he broke into the house and stabbed her.
Angela Warnock was in bed with her two daughters when the attack took place, and the girls ran into a closet. They were not harmed.
The YWCA Shelter hotline is 245-6362, and the YWCA Sexual Assault hotline is 245-4144, where victims of domestic violence and sexual assault can phone to get instant help.
Finally, the state sex-offender registry is sexoffenders.ehawaii.gov. Those visiting the site can view names, addresses and photographs of convicted sex offenders by street name, town or ZIP code.
Prosecuting Attorney Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment for this story.
