Pst. Seru Prays

RECAPTURED prisoner Stanley Gitoa who was returned to prison in 2012 after escaping from Tetere in 2007 reconciled yesterday in Rove Correctional Centre with the family of the late Samoa Pitakere who was killed by Gitoa whilst he was at large.

At the very emotional reconciliation ceremony at the Rove Central Correctional Centre yesterday, the victim family represented by the Victims father (Wilson Pitakere) accepted the heart felt and spiritual apology when Gitoa took responsibility and admitted to committing the gross act of being responsible for the death of late Samoa Pitakere. He apologised and promised the victim family, his own family and everyone present at the ceremony that he will not return to such acts ever again.   Gitoa was deeply sorry and saddened by what he had done acknowledging that it was senseless and crazy and he took responsibility for it but was now saddened by the real hurt he had brought to the  Pitakere family.

Gitoa who escaped from the then Prison Service of Solomon Islands in 2007 shot the victim during a shootout with rival parties at next to the Tetere Correctional farm whilst he was on the run, he was rearrested in 2012 after being involved in a serious car accident at Tetere after spending almost six years at large.

Stanley Gitoa also apologised to the CSSI authorities for escaping from legal custody which he deeply regretted and promised that he will serve his tome in full.

The ceremony conducted through the Prison Fellowship Solomon Islands “Sycamore Tree program “actively involved representatives from PFSI and the officers from CSSI in preparation for and creating the environment for the Reconciliation to go forward at Rove Central Correctional Centre.

Catholic Emeritus Arch Bishop Adrian Smith in opening the reconciliation thanked the families and said for him it was a first time to see such a reconciliation and that he was so impressed with the compassion of the families and their willingness to forgive and reconcile. “This is what I learned from Solomon islanders, the love, compassion and respect that you have for each other even in such times”. He found the ceremony very moving.

Long-time Sycamore Tree advocate and Bible Ways Senior Pastor Nathaniel Seru brought the parties together for an emotional prayer to complete the reconciliation where Gitoa gave the victim’s mother and father shell money as a token of his remorse for his acts and another shell money to the CSSI authorities.

Representing Prison Fellowship, Simon Mannie said the restorative justice principles and process they used was mixed with traditional Solomon Islands Culture and had proved to be very effective in the Melanesian context.

Acting Director of the Programs unit of Correction Service Solomon Islands, Jimmy Aega said CSSI have been actively involved with the Prison Fellowships Sycamore Tree Program since its introduction into Rove Central Correctional Centre in 2008, and now with more than 25 prisoners completed victim reconciliations so far.  He said reconciliation was such an important part of an inmates rehabilitation, because it was vital that there be no unresolved issues in any community when a prisoner was eventually released. With reconciliation done a prisoner could focus on having a smooth return to their community and getting on with reconnecting with family and friends .

Since it’s launching more than 250 prisoners have received counselling and instruction in the principles of the Sycamore Tree – the first principle is to own up and take responsibility for what you have done if you are an offender. When an offender truly and freely admits guilt and wrongness and is truly sorry for the victim and not himself then they can take the first steps to connecting the offender to the victim and those affected by his crime. For Prisoners reconciliation is a very important step in their rehabilitation, Given that rehabilitation is everyone’s concern

Another inmate serving life who witnessed the reconciliation ceremony hang his head and silently wept as perhaps the picture of his victims and realisation of the effects of the crime he committed hit home.

The challenge therefore remained that human as we are, crime is a contagious disease and it is everyone’s responsibility to avoid being infected.