Six men appeared in the 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. The accused and the victim are all from the same village.
The first accused, a 22-year-old man, is charged with seven counts of rape, while another 22-year-old man faces eight counts. A 24-year-old man is charged with 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 man is also jointly charged with a 24-year-old man for the offense of assault causing actual bodily harm.
All six individuals were presented to the court and remanded. Their case has now been forwarded to the High Court in Suva, with the next hearing scheduled for October 1, 2024.