Pacific / French Polynesia

Jail for harassing Tahiti politician

12:27 pm on 4 June 2019

A man in French Polynesia has been given a jail sentence for harassment after he contacted a senior politician more than 70,000 times.

Photo: ikiryo/123RF

The 41-year-old man, who used to be an assistant of a Tahiti mayor, called or messaged the head of the assembly group of the ruling Tapura Huiraatira party, Tepuaraurii Teriitahi, almost 300 times a day over an eight-month period.

He has been given a one-year prison sentence, of which six months is suspended.

He wanted her to become the president of French Polynesia and France, and at times he reportedly placed himself outside her office window to observe her.

Ms Teriitahi said she ended up living in fear and while hesitating to use her phone, she missed important calls.

The offender had been convicted for the same type of activity twice before.