A 35-year-old man has been remanded by the Magistrates Court in Suva on multiple charges, including the murder of his one-year-old daughter and serious assaults on his defacto partner and a three-year-old boy. The accused, Sairusi Ceinaturaga, appeared before Resident Magistrate Jeremaia Savou this afternoon.
Ceinaturaga faces one charge of murder, one charge of serious assault causing actual bodily harm, and one charge of causing grievous harm. Allegations state that he struck the child with an aluminum cooking spoon, slammed the child’s head against a wall, and threw the toddler onto a mattress. Additionally, he is accused of slapping his deceased daughter’s three-year-old brother and biting him on the face, as well as assaulting his defacto partner.
The incident came to light last Thursday when medical staff at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital notified Totogo Police after the child was declared dead upon arrival. Authorities reported that they found visible injuries on the child, which raised suspicions of foul play. The accused is listed as the defacto partner of the child’s mother and has a prior history of abusive behavior.
Magistrate Savou has transferred the case to the High Court, where the first mention is scheduled for November 4.