Hemi’s story

Introduction
Last week on CITV News and in the Herald, Hemi Enoka’s former partner Jenny Vaipapa alleged he had acted violently towards her causing injures to her face. Police investigated her case and subsequently no charges were laid against Mr Enoka.
In this issue, Mr Enoka responds to her allegations which he strongly refutes. Mr Enoka gives his version of events which he claims were self inflicted due to her allegedly being drunk and unable to control herself and falling and striking her head against the wooden decking floor.
Hemi’s response
In response to her claim that she had encountered a domestic violence altercation. Enoka claims her story conflicts with the police report. Enoka claims she was drunk and fell and sustained the injuries herself when she fell on her head and side of her shoulder. He said the lines on her face are the impressions of the decking floor that she had fallen on to as seen clearly in the photograph in the newspaper of 7 November 2012, on page 9.
As to her claim he was a boarder at her residence, Enoka said he was never a so called boarder, he was her new boyfriend. He never paid her any rent and he already had his own home in Tupapa and was living there. She was looking for a boarder to help with rent. He didn’t agree with her to live there because it was too much rent to pay. He said they should look at another way.
Enoka said their relationship was not one of companionship. They were lovers.
As to her claims that he was overwhelming and intimidating, Enoka said they were out to improve the business going from a massage every now and then to a business that had increased to six massages each day on average. They had very little money between the two of them and needed to be smarter fast. They were becoming more successful.
As to her claims of being burnt out, Enoka said their hours of work were sometimes 5 to 6 hours Monday to Friday and until recently the odd Sunday work due to demand. Enoka said during this 5 to 6 hours Jenny had ample opportunity to rest and relax, go swimming and speak to tourists. She became burnt out through stress not labour said Enoka. He claims she tried to come off her medication and became sick to the point she had to be hospitalized. Later in their relationship Enoka said, she would take the medication and still be stressed, so badly that she would drink alcohol.
As to her claims of a heated discussion over her shifting out, Enoka said she had already told him two weeks prior to that Thursday 2 November that she had found accommodation and intended to move with Mary (her daughter). He had already said to her ok you can stay here until then-when the house became ready not for the first time that night. She had already shown him the house. He knew the landlord of that house. She said that they could still be a couple but live apart and still work the business. She doesn’t have residency –a reason Enoka claims she wants them to stay as a couple.
When she told him on the Thursday about the home she had found she was only repeating to what she already said two weeks before. Enoka claims she was in a state of drunkenness and was trying to cause a fight. She stopped so he told her the relationship was at an end- now. As soon as the house was ready they could go and that the relationship between them as a couple was over, now today, Thursday 2 November 2012, and from then on.
As to her claim he got drunk on the Wednesday night and she slept with him to keep the peace, Enoka claims he never went out anywhere to get drunk. When he got home from work Wednesday 1 November 2012 she had been drinking too.
He watched TV for a while, she had gone to bed early as she would do normally and wait for him. She would get angry and come to get him to come to bed. We were always like Romeo and Juliet said Enoka. He said he never forced Jenny Vaipapa ever and wouldn’t do that.
As to her claim that she had a bit to drink, Enoka claims she had been drinking all day. She said she was sick. She wasn’t said Enoka. He claims it was an excuse and he said to her it was ok to stay home and told her don’t work, you rest. They had hired a worker to help out with the business so she could stay home some days to be a mother.
Enoka claims it was because he told her their relationship was over when she moves that the discussion went out of control. It would also be the end of her with the Immigration Division said Enoka, and the 12 months renewal that she needs to stay in the Cook Islands. He claims she could use this event to her advantage.
As to her claim he locked Mary (her daughter) in her room, he said she was not locked in her bedroom. He said he went to Mary who was reading in her room because she was tired of listening to her mother causing trouble. Her mother kept calling Mary to come and sit with them while she was taunting him, trying to provoke a fight. He told Mary that her mother was getting worse and that Mary was to put on some warm clothes because he wasn’t having her mother stay in his house another minute. He went back to the lounge and picked up Jenny the best that he could. Unfortunately she was only wearing a swim top and skirt. As he helped her up, Jenny being dead weight, caused the swim top to stretch. They made it to the door then Jenny suddenly pulled away, she slipped out of his hands and fell to the floor and landed on her head and shoulders leaving bruises on her face from the decking timber boards. Jenny screamed to Mary to run out because he was going to get her too. He helped Jenny to the bathroom where she pulled away again and fell onto the clothes basket and on to the toilet. He helped to clean her up. She didn’t want any help. Screaming, she pushed past. He let her go. She ran out of the house screaming “Run Mary, run to the bakery.”
Enoka said he never left the home. He never saw any two men come to her aid.
Enoka said Mary never went to the bakery at all. She went to the day care centre across the road, to a friend’s house. They will confirm that. He said no-one from the bakery took Mary to the day care centre. She went on her own.
Enoka remains adamant no-one slammed Jenny’s head to the floor. He claims she was drunk that bad. She had started to drink before midday Thursday. Even if she started at 12 noon it was 8pm when she fell the first time that night. What do you think her condition would be after drinking 8 hours straight-a person who suffers from a stress disorder and has run out of medication asked Enoka. He claims Jenny Vaipapa has a history of stress.
Enoka said Jenny had reported the case of a previous incident where she accused him of attacking her with a knife.
He said when she left that time she went to Atiu seek support from her former husband. She was also in trouble with rent and others. Enoka claims she got her ex-husband to write out a residential report to support her to stay in the Cook Islands. She stayed with him again as husband and wife to convince Enoka to have her back. And the idiot and humble man he was, he took her back. She left Vaipapa again after using him and she is doing the same to him again. Enoka claims she is trying to hook up with Punanga Tauturu because at this time they have no funding, and White Flag Week is coming up on 25 November in support of Abused Women’s Day. Also funding has been allocated to a women’s refuge here in Rarotonga. Jenny knew exactly what she was doing. There is no shame, helplessness, hopelessness.
Enoka claims this is not a case of a victim trapped in a violent relationship. This is a case of a woman in a drunk and abusive state falling because she is unable of holding her own weight.
This, says Enoka, is clearly not a case that should be added to the Punanga Tauturu’s statistics.
Due to the publicity given this case, Enoka warns that any further publicity on this matter especially if unsubstantiated may result in him seeking legal advice.

Herald Issue 608 21 March
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