One juvenile and three men accused of raping a 13-year-old girl have pleaded not guilty to the charges, and their bail has been extended. The defendants appeared before Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu on Thursday to address the charges brought forth by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The juvenile faces one count of rape, while his three co-defendants are charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Prosecutor Zenith Zunaid indicated to the court that two of the men along with the juvenile admitted their involvement during a video-recorded caution interview, while the fourth defendant acknowledged being present at the scene but denied committing the crime.
The group is scheduled to return to court on November 24 for their first pre-trial conference.