A 35-year-old man, Sairusi Ceinaturaga, accused of causing the death of his one-year-old daughter last week, has had his case moved to the High Court in Suva. He made his initial appearance before Magistrate Krishan Prasad facing charges of murder, assault, and an act with intent to cause grievous harm.
Ceinaturaga is alleged to have struck his 27-year-old de facto partner while she was preparing a meal. He is also accused of assaulting his daughter with an aluminum cooking spoon and forcefully hitting her face against a wall before throwing her onto a mattress.
In another alleged incident, upon seeing his three-year-old son playing, Ceinaturaga reportedly became angry, grabbed his son, took him to the bedroom, and inflicted injuries by slapping him and hitting his head against the wall.
The alleged incidents took place at the Vunidakua settlement in Cunningham, Suva, on October 17 of this year. Police have indicated that the accused has a history of abusive behavior. Due to the nature of the charges, considered indictable offenses, the case has been assigned to the High Court for its first call on November 4.
Following the court proceedings, a large group of men gathered around Ceinaturaga as he was taken back to the remand center. The State was represented by Police Prosecutor Sergeant Sharmila Lata.