Six men appeared in the Nausori Magistrate’s Court on Monday, facing a total of 17 charges related to rape and assault linked to two alleged incidents involving a 14-year-old girl in 2020. The accused and the victim all hail from the same village.
The first accused, a 22-year-old man, faces seven counts of rape. Another 22-year-old man is charged with eight counts of rape. A 24-year-old man has been charged with one count of rape. 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 the accused have been remanded by the Nausori Magistrate’s Court, and their case is set to be moved to the High Court in Suva, where it will be heard again on October 1, 2024.