A Tongan man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for violently assaulting a defenceless six-year-old boy with achondroplasia, leaving the child with severe head injuries.
Solomone ‘Enisolini Luke Kauvaka, 29, pleaded guilty to serious bodily harm and common assault after he repeatedly punched, kicked, and strangled the boy before throwing him against a wall in a rage-fueled attack on July 2, 2024.
The court heard that Kauvaka, who was in a relationship with the victim’s mother, Sulieti Kivalu, targeted the child out of anger over gossip from her relatives.
He later admitted to Sulieti that he “punched and kicked Sefili Kaafi until his mouth bled, strangled him by the throat until his eyeballs almost fell out, and then threw him against the wall.”
The judge condemned the attack as “brutal and unprovoked,” highlighting the child’s vulnerability.
The boy was rushed to the hospital, where Dr Mele Kaloni Pomale documented his injuries, leading to Kauvaka’s arrest.
The court document shows Sefili remains with his mother in Sopu.
According to her reports, he has fully recovered physically from his injuries but still carries emotional scars from the assault.
She said that he recounts the incident with visible sadness whenever he hears the defendant’s name.
The prisoner no longer has any contact with Sefili’s mother.
Kauvaka, from Fāhefa, was a student at Hango Agricultural College. He is from a good family, the court document read.
His father is a Minister of the Free Wesleyan Church, and his late mother was a former employee of the Ministry of Justice. He is one of five children.
The defendant admitted the offence and is genuinely remorseful.
His father, while shocked that his son was capable of such an offence, is reasonably standing by his side in support.
Originally sentenced to 2.5 years, the final 12 months were suspended on strict conditions, including probation, mandatory life skills courses, and a two-year good behaviour order.
If Kauvaka violates these terms, he will be sent back to prison.
