A 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 four defendants appeared before Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu on Thursday as they faced charges approved by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The juvenile faces one count of rape, while the three men are charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. DPP prosecutor Zenith Zunaid informed the court that two of the men and the juvenile admitted to the offenses during a video-recorded caution interview, while the remaining accused acknowledged being present at the scene but denied any wrongdoing.
The quartet is scheduled to return to court on November 24 for the initial pre-trial conference.