Synopsis: Some people say that the recent not-guilty verdict of Michael Hirokawa of attempted second-degree murder, kidnapping and three counts of first-degree sexual assault may cause victims of sexual assault to be afraid to come forward. However, looking at what transpired a week ago for Roxana Ruiz, the woman who was found guilty in Mexico of homicide with “excessive use of legitimate defense,” may help.

Ma ka lä kanakolu aku nei o Mei, hoæokuæu laæelaæe æia aæela ‘o Michael Hirokawa ma muli o ka æölelo hoæoholo a ke kiule. ‘O Hirokawa ka mea i hoæopiæi æia aku no ka hoæäæo pepehi kanaka i kekahi wahine, ka æaihue kanaka æana iä ia a me ka lolokukui æino. A he mau hana ia i kü i ka weliweli a me ka mänaæonaæo. I ka wä a ka wahine e höæike ana i mua o ka æaha hoæokolokolo, æölelo aæela æo ia, ua höæoiæoi ka inaina o Hirokawa me kona noke æana mai i ka puæe a moku kona æili mai ke kohe a ka æamo, a pepehi mai nö hoæi æo Hirokawa me ka æumi pü æana mai a me ka hehi æana i kona poæo a me kona kino, a ma ka æölelo höæike a kekahi kauka, inä æaæole i loaæa koke ke kino o ka wahine, inä ua kahe a wai kona koko a make æo ia. æAæole i küæë æo Hirokawa i ka manaæo näna nö ia mau hana. Akä, höæike aæela æo ia, æaæohe ona wahi mea a hoæomaopopo i ka hana pëlä a ua hoæohäinu æia aku paha æo ia i ka läæau hoæonoenoe. A he mau kumu hou aku paha ko Hirokawa i hoæäpono æia ai.

æÖlelo aæela kekahi poæe, æo ka hoæokuæu laæelaæe æia aku o Hirokawa æoiai naæe, æaæole i kaæe mai käna hana mäinoino i ka wahine, he mea ia e makaæu ai ka wahine puæe æia a limanui æia paha i ka hoæopiæi aku.

Aia aku nei kekahi hihia ma Mekiko i æane like. æO ka hihia ia o Roxana Ruiz. He wahine æo Ruiz i puæe æia e kekahi kanaka i ka makahiki 2021. A æo ka mea æäpiki, æo Ruiz ka mea i hoæokolokolo æia. Ua æae aku æo Ruiz e hiamoe ke kanaka ma kona hale, a i ka wä o Ruiz e hiamoe ana, kuæi maila ua kanaka lä iä ia, uhae aæela i kona lole a puæe maila iä ia. Ma hope o kona puæe æia æana, æuæumi akula æo Ruiz i ke kanaka a make. A i kekahi mau pule i hala iho nei, höæähewa æia iho nei æo Ruiz no ka lawe ola me ka päkela pale kükänäwai, me ka æölelo pü æana aæe o ka æaha, e lawa kona hili æana aku i ke poæo o ke kanaka no ke pale æana aku. A kau aæe nei ka ‘ölelo hoæopaæi o Ruiz, æo ia hoæi, e noho paæahao æo ia he æeono makahiki a æoi me ka uku æana aku he $16,000 a æoi i ka æohana o ke kanaka näna i puæe iä ia. æO ka mea e lana ai ka manaæo, i ka lä 20 o Mei, he mau lä helu wale nö ma hope mai o ke kau æana o ka æölelo hoæopaæi o Ruiz, ua käpae aku nä loio hoæopiæi i kona hihia. A i käpae æia nö ma muli o ka nui o nä känaka e küæë ana i ia hana a ka æaha hoæokolokolo. No ka nui loa o ka inaina o ka lehulehu, ua æölelo aæela ka Pelekikena Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, e huikala æo ia iä Ruiz. Akä, höæole æia e nä loio o Ruiz no ka mea, inä æae æia kona huikala æia æana, he höæike ia i ka æae æana o Ruiz, ua hana nö ‘o ia i ia kalaima.

Ma muli o ka huliämahi æana o känaka i pakele ai æo Ruiz. A æo ia alu like æana nö hoæi ka mea e pau ai ka hana mäinoino i ka wahine ma nä wahi a pau o ka honua nei.

E ho‘ouna ‘ia mai na ä leka iä mäua, ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o Laiana Wong a me Kekeha Solis ma ka pahu leka uila ma lalo nei:

>> kwong@hawaii.edu

>> rsolis@hawaii.edu

a i ‘ole ia, ma ke kelepona:

>> 808-956-2627 (Laiana)

>> 808-956-2627 (Kekeha)

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa.