Latest news with #SenateBill281
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Torture now a class A felony in Hawaiʻi
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Torture is now a class A felony in the islands following Gov. Josh Green's signing of Senate Bill 281 on June 4. The bill, known as 'S.B. 281: Relating to Torture,' passed both houses of the legislature, receiving unanimous approval in the state senate and near unanimous approval in the house, minus one excused member who did not vote. Has Sam's Club stopped shipping online orders to Hawaii? The item was submitted to the 2025 Legislative Session by the City and County of Honolulu's Department of the Prosecuting Attorney and was sponsored by Sen. Ronald Kouchi. The legislation marks the first of its kind in the islands, with Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm saying the new law helps toughen up 'inadequate' laws.'Until we submitted this bill as part of our legislative package, our state had inadequate laws to deal with perpetrators who use torture against children and vulnerable persons. Our state needed this law to protect those who are vulnerable and unable to protect themselves,' Alm said. The new law also provides significant aid in ensuring children who are victims of torture are able to get justice. 'Across the state, prosecutors have seen heinous crimes involving children who suffered acts of torture committed against them by their parents or those who have a duty to protect them,' Alm explained. 'The laws that we had to fight these crimes did not adequately address the criminal conduct exhibited in these cases.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Hawaii lawmakers still working on torture bill
COURTESY INSTAGRAM Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You : The 11-year-old died in December 2023, and her adoptive parent was charged with manslaughter March 7 in her death 1 /2 COURTESY INSTAGRAM Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You : The 11-year-old died in December 2023, and her adoptive parent was charged with manslaughter March 7 in her death COURTESY PHOTO Geanna Bradley : The 10-year old was found dead at home in Wahiawa on Jan. 18, 2024 ; Honolulu police arrested her foster parents and grandmother on suspicion of murder and other offenses 2 /2 COURTESY PHOTO Geanna Bradley : The 10-year old was found dead at home in Wahiawa on Jan. 18, 2024 ; Honolulu police arrested her foster parents and grandmother on suspicion of murder and other offenses COURTESY INSTAGRAM Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You : The 11-year-old died in December 2023, and her adoptive parent was charged with manslaughter March 7 in her death COURTESY PHOTO Geanna Bradley : The 10-year old was found dead at home in Wahiawa on Jan. 18, 2024 ; Honolulu police arrested her foster parents and grandmother on suspicion of murder and other offenses Recent high-profile cases of child torture and neglect that led to the deaths of two children on Oahu have sharpened the focus for police officers and prosecuting attorneys pushing Hawaii lawmakers to pass a bill that would codify torture and outline punishment. Torture would become a Class A felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, under Senate Bill 281, which has drawn a great deal of support in testimony from advocates for tougher laws that distinguish between abuse and torture. The recent cases include starvation, prolonged physical restraint, broken bones and emaciation that led to the deaths of 11-year-old Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You and 10-year-old Geanna Bradley. Currently, there is no 'clear legal definition of torture in the state, even though it should be explicitly prohibited, ' said Honolulu Police Department Capt. Vince Legaspi of the Criminal investigation Division in testimony April 2 to the state House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs. 'It is essential to distinguish between abuse and torture, as they differ in severity, and the penalties should reflect that distinction. In 2024 there were several cases involving the torture of children ; however, existing laws provided no framework to charge and penalize the perpetrators appropriately, ' Legaspi said. 'Passing this bill would establish charges that accurately reflect the severity of such acts, ensuring that offenders are held accountable for the magnitude of their crimes.' Benjamin T. Moszkowicz, chief of the Hawaii County Police Department, told lawmakers that too many forms of 'cruel and degrading treatment ' are not adequately addressed by the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. 'Acts such as starvation, deprivation of food, clothing and water can be challenging to prosecute under existing laws, ' Moszkowicz said. On April 6 the five children's justice centers in Hawaii released data from 2024 that tracked 1, 839 cases of child sex abuse, felony physical abuse, child sex trafficking, internet crimes against children, and children who witnessed a violent crime. While the total of these cases increased by only seven, there was an alarming increase in cases of severe physical abuse. The number of severe cases on Maui increased, more than doubled in West Hawaii and significantly increased on Oahu. Over the five-year period from 2000 to 2024, there were 9, 627 of these cases, reported Friends of the Children's Justice Center of Oahu. Gap in system Honolulu Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tiffany Kaeo, division chief of the Family Prosecution Division of the Honolulu Prosecutor's Office, told lawmakers she is 'acutely aware of the need for a torture statute in this state.' While the bill was submitted as part of the Honolulu prosecuting attorney's legislative package, there should be 'no misunderstanding that addressing child torture is not law enforcement-centric ' and involves the collaborative efforts of multiple disciplines working in the children's best interest. 'Thirty-six states and District of Columbia criminal codes reference child torture. However, under Hawaii's current statutory language, torture is punished as an aggravating circumstance for murder. Even application of that sentence has been substantially weakened because the prosecution must prove the torture was 'unnecessary, '' read Kaeo's testimony. The measure before lawmakers is 'critical to addressing a gap in the criminal justice system.' 'As prosecutors we need to be able to provide justice to victims who survive torture at the hands of caregivers. That justice must be commensurate with the suffering that those child victims have experienced, ' Kaeo said. 'Currently, when a child dies, a charge of murder or manslaughter is appropriately lodged against a perpetrator.' Child torturers are highly manipulative and extremely skilled at evading detection, testified Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Erika Candelario, team captain of the Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Felony Division. 'Such actions include forced exercise, restraint, forced holds in uncomfortable positions for long periods of times, imprisonment, deprivation of excretory functions, and burning or electrocution, ' Candelarios said. 'Food and water deprivation are increasingly common occurrences in torture-type cases. This is followed by isolation and deprivation of basic necessities which seek to cement a perpetrator's domination and control over the victim's every breath and every move. Because such actions by a perpetrator can be so varied, and injuries so wide-ranging (in a way that does not fit into current definitions ), our response in the law should reflect the appropriate additions to hold that type of offender accountable.' Honolulu Fire Chief Sheldon K. Hau told lawmakers that a torture bill is 'long overdue.' 'As first responders we are often the first to arrive at scenes involving child abuse or neglect, ' Hao said. 'Although we do not investigate or prosecute these crimes, we see them, we carry them and we often cannot forget them. Our role is to provide immediate medical care, rescue and protection. However, when we arrive to find children who have been intentionally harmed, deprived, restrained or threatened, we are left with the emotional and moral weight of what we witnessed. We are the ones who carry those children out of dangerous homes. We are the ones who try to stabilize their injuries. We are the ones who must return to our stations and our families and try to process what no one should ever have to see.' Abuse underreported Child & Family Service CEO Amanda Pump told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that parental struggles play a key role in Hawaii's child abuse cases, which she says are underreported. Those factors include Hawaii's high cost of living, a generational decline in face-to-face communications and interactions, generational abuse and other factors, she said. 'We learn to communicate less, we have less interactions face to face and we need those interactions. Babies need those interactions. … They need to be held, they need to hear their parents' voices. I do think technology limits parents' ability to do that.' Inflation and the high cost of living are 'really limiting the time we get to spend with our children, ' she said. 'What quality of time or energy do you have left (at the end of the day )? There is a lot that families are going through nowadays, ' Pump said. Pump said the state's most recent report on child abuse and neglect, from 2023, showed an increase in the volume of calls, notably on Oahu and in Hilo. Eighteen percent of those were confirmed for child abuse and neglect, and three-quarters of those cases involved parents who could not handle the parenting responsibility, she said. 'If we poured more attention and resources into prevention, we can help more parents not to abuse and neglect their children, ' said Pump, noting that potential prevention frameworks can be embedded in existing contracts with service providers. 'We need to be strengthening communities.' The highest number of calls the state is getting are from parents with children less than a year old, she said. Fifty-seven percent of the abusers are women, as women are the primary caregivers, and their ages range between 30 and 39. 2 recent cases The two cases in the headlines on Oahu this year involved deaths in Kahuku and Wahiawa. On March 7 a, Sina Pili, was arrested and charged with manslaughter for torturing and neglecting her 11-year-old adopted daughter, who died in December 2023. The victim, Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You, had extensive bruising, deep enough to penetrate skin. She had multiple abrasions to her face, head, neck, chest, back, arms, hands and legs. She was bitten and strangled, and had two broken ribs and a scalp hemorrhage. Pili-Ah You's body tested positive for COVID-19, pneumonia and the flu, according to HPD. She was adopted by Sina Pili and her husband two months before she died. Sina Pili is charged with manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a minor and persistent nonsupport. In the other case, was found dead in the Wahiawa home of her foster parents in January 2024, bound with duct tape, severely injured and starved. A medical examiner's report said Bradley died of 'multiple effects of prolonged child abuse and neglect ' and 'starvation, blunt force injuries due to multiple assaults, prolonged physical restraint and immobilization, pneumonia and medical neglect.' Police, firefighters and Honolulu Emergency Medical Services paramedics found Bradley's body Jan. 18, 2024, after they responded to a 911 call from the home. Her foster parents and grandmother were charged with murder in February 2024, nearly a month after the child's lifeless body was found emaciated and bruised, with broken teeth, open sores and missing part of her nose. Brandy Kanani Blas, 35 ; her husband, Thomas Adam Blas Sr., 40 ; and Debra D. Geron, 67, were arrested at their home at 33 Karsten Drive in Wahiawa. All three face charges of second-degree murder, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of first-degree unlawful imprisonment. The Blases were charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a minor, and Brandy Blas and Geron were charged with one count of first-degree hindering prosecution.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘We want to have every tool available to prosecute them': Lawmakers to hear bill that would make torture a felony
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A bill that would make torture a Class A felony offense has strong support from city prosecutors and law enforcement. But critics warn it could lead to prosecutorial overreach. Two recent child death cases have put the spotlight on horrific acts of extreme, prolonged suffering, leading many to argue that Senate Bill 281 is needed. Honolulu Police echoed the support for the bill after last week's arrest of Sina Pili for the death of her adopted daughter. Woman arrested in connection to manslaughter of adopted child 'Passing Senate Bill 281 will equip law enforcement with necessary tools to intervene effectively and hold offenders fully accountable. Right now, without this law, we are failing children like Azaeliyah,' said Honolulu Police Lt. Deena Thoemmes. Senate Bill 281 defines torture as the act of causing serious bodily injury to another person within the actor's custody or physical control, suspending the minor or vulnerable person by the wrists, ankles, arms, legs, hair or other parts of the body, and forcing the victim to remain in an area unsuitable for human habitation, such as an area where urine or feces are actively present. Prosecutors are also looking to amend the bill to include starvation, saying it would give them a stronger legal tool to ensure justice in cases of prolonged abuse.'There are some sick people out there who starve their kids or foster kids and we want to have every tool available to prosecute them,' said Steve Alm, Honolulu prosecuting attorney. Those who support the bill say it would enable law enforcement to act sooner rather than later. 'When they find kids in this situation they don't have to find a bruise, but if they see they've lost a tremendous amount of weight they'll know, if this bill gets amended as we're hoping, it will give them a reason and probable cause to be able to make arrests, to get the kid out of that situation,' Alm said. But the Office of the Public Defender opposes the bill, arguing that existing laws already allow prosecutors to charge extreme abuse adequately. In testimony, they warn the bill's language is too broad and could lead to confusion and possible wrongful convictions. However, prosecutors say the length of time it takes to bring these types of cases to trial, including Isabella Kalua, Geanna Bradley and Peter Boy Kema, which can sometimes take up to a year, demonstrate the care they would take to ensure the investigation is thorough. 'We want to make sure we're charging the right person and we have all the evidence we need to successfully prosecute these cases,' said Tiffany Kaeo, deputy prosecuting attorney and Family Division chief. Senate Bill 281 is scheduled for a hearing on the morning of Feb. 11 before the House Committee on Human Services and Homelessness. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Yahoo
Mother charged in ‘torture' death of adopted daughter, 11, in Laie
A 39-year-old Kahuku woman was arrested and charged with manslaughter today for allegedly torturing and neglecting her 11-year-old adopted daughter who died in December 2023. The victim, Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You, had 'multiple injuries from child abuse ' and the manner of her death was a homicide, Lt. Deena Thoemmes, head of the Honolulu Police Department's Strategic Enforcement and Homicide Detail, said at a news conference. Pili-Ah You had extensive bruising, 'deep enough to penetrate skin ' and reaching her diaphragm, Thoemmes said. She had multiple abrasions to her face, head, neck, chest back, arms, hands, and legs. The girl had wounds consistent with being bitten, internal injuries to her neck 'likely from strangulation, ' two broken ribs a scalp hemorrhage, and her left lung was dark which indicated pneumonia, Thoemmes said. Pili-Ah You's body tested positive for COVID, pneumonia and the flu, according to HPD. Sina Pili was indicted by an Oahu grand jury today and charged with manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a minor, and persistent non-support, according to state court documents. Pili-Ah You was adopted by Pili and her husband two months before she died. Thoemmes said Pili-Ah You's adoptive father has not been arrested but remains under investigation. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. 'Child torture is insidious, it is gradual, calculated and systematic and intended to break its victims completely, ' said Thoemmes, who urged state lawmakers to pass pending legislation, Senate Bill 281, allowing law enforcement more power to intervene, investigate and arrest people who abuse children. On the day she died, Pili 'slapped and punched ' Pili-Ah You multiple times over a period of 30 minutes, police said. On Dec. 22, 2023, patrol officers responded to a 911 call of an unresponsive 11-year-old girl at a home in Laie. Officers saw Pili-Ah You's father giving the girl 'life-saving care ' in the hallway of the home before Honolulu firefighters took her into the living room and tried to revive her, according to HPD. She was taken to the Kahuku Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Her death was initially classified as an unattended death. Homicide detectives, noticing the bruising, brought in HPD's child abuse detail. Sina Pili was arrested at about 1 :45 p.m. in Kahuku and will remain in police custody before she is taken to Honolulu Circuit Court for arraignment on Thursday. Pili 'recklessly ' caused her adopted daughter's death on Dec. 22, 2023, according to the indictment. Manslaughter is a Class 'A ' felony punishable by 20 years in prison without the possibility of suspension of sentence or probation. Four additional children in Pili and her husband's care, ages 12, 9, 8, 7, have been placed in protective custody by state Child Welfare Services. This was the second time this week that charges were filed in a child's death on Oahu. On Feb. 27, police arrested two women—Janae Perez, 25, and her girlfriend, Ashleigh Utley, 33—in the June starvation death of 3-year-old girl Sarai Perez-Rivera in Kapolei. Perez, who is the girl's mother, and Utley were indicted Tuesday for suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, hindering prosecution and two counts of kidnapping. RELATED STORY : 28 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Yahoo
Kahuku mother arrested in death of 11-year-old girl
A 39-year-old woman who works as a behavioral health specialist and senior class adviser at Kahuku High and Intermediate School was arrested on campus Friday and charged with manslaughter for allegedly torturing and neglecting her 11-year-old adopted daughter who died in December 2023. The victim, Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You, had 'multiple injuries from child abuse, ' and the manner of her death was homicide, Lt. Deena Thoemmes, head of the Honolulu Police Department's Strategic Enforcement and Homicide Detail, told reporters Friday at a news conference. Pili-Ah You had extensive bruising 'deep enough to penetrate skin ' and reaching her diaphragm, Thoemmes said. The child also had multiple abrasions to her face, head, neck, chest, back, arms, hands and legs. The girl had wounds consistent with being bitten, internal injuries to her neck 'likely from strangulation, ' two broken ribs and a scalp hemorrhage, and her left lung was dark, indicative of pneumonia, Thoemmes said. Pili-Ah You's body tested positive for COVID-19, pneumonia and the flu, according to HPD. The child's adoptive mother, Sina Pili, was indicted Friday by an Oahu grand jury and charged with manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a minor and persistent nonsupport, according to state court documents. Pili-Ah You was adopted by Pili and her husband two months before she died. Thoemmes said the girl's adoptive father has not been arrested, but remains under investigation. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. 'Child torture is insidious. It is gradual, calculated and systematic, and intended to break its victims completely, ' said Thoemmes, who urged state lawmakers to pass pending legislation, Senate Bill 281, allowing law enforcement more power to intervene, investigate and arrest people who abuse children. Child abuse and death investigations take longer than murder investigations, Thoemmes explained, because officers have to go over medical records, autopsy reports and school records ; interview family members ; and gather additional evidence. On the day Pili-Ah You died, the suspect 'slapped and punched ' the child multiple times over a period of 30 minutes, police said. On Dec. 22, 2023, patrol officers responded to a 911 call of an unresponsive 11-year-old girl at a home in Laie. The girl had been sick and held out of school but was in class the day before she died. Despite the victim suffering from a fever and uncontrolled urination, Pili allegedly forced the girl to exercise by running back and forth from the family home to a chapel, police said. Pili-Ah You's adoptive father told police he found her in the shower, unresponsive, after hearing a thud. Arriving officers saw him giving the girl 'lifesaving care ' in the hallway of the home outside the bathroom before firefighters took her into the living room to try and revive her. She was taken to Kahuku Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Pili-Ah You's death was initially classified as an unattended death. Homicide detectives, noticing the bruising, brought in HPD's child abuse detail. Pili and her husband told police they had no idea how the girl was injured and suggested it could be a result of playing sports. According to the indictment, Pili 'recklessly ' caused her adopted daughter's death. Manslaughter is a Class A felony punishable by 20 years in prison without the possibility of suspension of sentence or probation. Pili was arrested at about 1 :45 p.m. Friday at Kahuku High and Intermediate School and will remain in police custody until she appears for arraignment Thursday in Oahu Circuit Court. Four other children in Pili and her husband's care, ages 12, 9, 8, 7, have been placed in protective custody by state Child Welfare Services. Pili earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Brigham Young University of Hawaii in Laie and a master's in social work from the University of Hawaii, where she is pursuing a doctorate from the Thompson School of Social Work and Public Health, according to a profile on the Department of Sociology web page. 'In her free time, (Pili ) is centered on everything family related, from attending her children's sporting events, church activities altogether, or just being in the company of loved ones, ' reads her profile. This was the second time this week that charges were filed in a child's death on Oahu. On Feb. 27—Janae Perez, 25, and her girlfriend, Ashleigh Utley, 33—in connection with the June starvation death of 3-year-old Sarai Perez-Rivera in Kapolei. Perez, who is the girl's mother, and Utley were indicted Tuesday for second-degree murder, first-degree assault, hindering prosecution and two counts of kidnapping. 'Our keiki are precious and vulnerable. We all have a responsibility to care for our keiki, who are the future of Hawaii, ' said Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm. 'If you see keiki in need of help or look like they have been assaulted, please call the Child Abuse Reporting Line.' Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Julia Kaneshiro is handling the Pili-Ah You case.—Report abuse—Child abuse and /or neglect : 808-832-5300 (Oahu ) or toll-free 888-380-3088 (Hawaii island, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai ). Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.—Child trafficking : 808-832-1999 (Oahu ) or toll-free 888-398-1188 (Hawaii island, Molokai, Lanai, Kauai ). Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
