Samoa's Human Rights Institution says the nation's churches need to stop the rhetoric and change their approach to deal with the problem of domestic violence.
The ombudsman and head of the institution, Maiava Iulai Toma, was responding to a statement from the National Council of Churches that increasing domestic violence was punishment for disobeying God.
The statement was made at a forum organised by the institution and UN Women.
Maiava told Koro Vaka'uta he was not surpised by the statement.