Domestic Strangulation Update & Band Teacher Sentenced

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Big Island prosecutors may take more punitive action against perpetrators of domestic strangulation after more than 50 cases were recorded last year, authorities said.

Domestic strangulation is a felony crime in Hawaii punishable by up to five years in prison, but prosecutors could pursue higher charges, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported this week.

“Domestic violence perpetrators who use strangulation to silence their victims could be charged with attempted homicide,” said Dale Ross, Hawaii County’s first deputy prosecutor. “We will be evaluating these cases in the future to determine when (and) where that might be the appropriate charge.”

The number of strangulation cases appears to be on the rise, but there hasn’t been adequate tracking of past cases, prosecutor Mitch Roth said.

“In the last couple of years, we’ve gone through a lot of training,” Roth said. “This is one of the things that is a real determiner of lethality, so we’re taking these cases a lot more seriously. We beefed up training for us and for police.”

On average, about one new domestic strangulation case occurs each week on the island, deputy prosecutor Suzanne Tiapula said.

“Strangulation is, in fact, one of the best predictors for the subsequent homicide of victims of domestic violence,” Ross said.

Outward signs of strangulation are not always apparent on the victim, presenting an additional challenge to police and medical responders, said Denby Toci, program director at Child and Family Service in Hilo.

“You can’t always tell when you’re looking at the victim, and the effects and the symptoms can carry over after the initial event,” Toci said.

Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald

HONOLULU (AP) — A former band teacher at a Honolulu private school who was convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl was sentenced Monday to 90 days in jail.

Peter Rucci, 63, pleaded guilty in October to charges of second- and third-degree sexual assault, Hawaii News Now reported .

The victim, who was 15 when the assault occurred in June 2017, gave a statement to the court.

“He was a phenomenal mentor, and he wreaked havoc on my life,” the victim said. “It’s a miracle that I had the strength to get this far.”

The victim’s mother also addressed the court.

“She has been derailed. Her course has been changed. She was very courageous to make Rucci’s crimes public,” the victim’s mother said.

Rucci declined to speak in court Monday.

He was initially charged with nine sexual-assault counts. The other counts were dropped after he reached a plea deal with prosecutors.

Rucci became band director at Damien Memorial School in August 2017. He was fired in November 2017 when the allegations surfaced.

The assault happened before he was employed, and it did not involve any Damien students, school officials said.

Rucci previously taught at Honolulu Waldorf School and at Le Jardin Academy in Kailua.

Rucci will be on probation for five years. He must also register as a sex offender and take part in the state’s sex offender treatment program.

Information from: KGMB-TV