Six men appeared in Nausori Magistrate’s Court on Monday facing a total of 17 counts related to rape and assault in connection with two alleged cases involving a 14-year-old girl that occurred in 2020.
The accused and the victim are all from the same village. The first accused, a 22-year-old man, faces seven counts of rape, while another 22-year-old man is charged with eight counts. A 24-year-old man is charged with one count of rape. Additionally, a 25-year-old and a 29-year-old are jointly charged with a single count of rape.
In the second case, the 29-year-old is also jointly charged with the 24-year-old for assault causing actual bodily harm.
All six men were presented in court and remanded. The case has been forwarded to the High Court in Suva, with the next hearing scheduled for October 1, 2024.