Six men appeared in Nausori Magistrate’s Court on Monday, facing a total of 17 charges related to rape and assault stemming from two incidents involving a 14-year-old girl in 2020. All individuals, both the victim and the accused, are from the same village.
The first accused, a 22-year-old man, faces seven counts of rape, while a second 22-year-old is charged with eight counts. A third accused, a 24-year-old man, is facing one count of rape.
Additionally, a 25-year-old man and a 29-year-old man are jointly charged with one count of rape. In a separate case, the 29-year-old is also jointly charged with a 24-year-old man for assault causing actual bodily harm.
All six men were presented in court and remanded by the Nausori Magistrate’s Court. The case has been moved to the High Court in Suva, where it will be heard again on October 1, 2024.