The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions states that a 16 year-old-boy was charged alongside four other accused mpersons in the alleged gang rape of a 21-year-old and a 38-year-old woman during a drinking party.
A 14-year-old boy was charged with the rape of his 13-year-old cousin while a 17-year-old boy was charged with the defilement of his 14-year-old and 15-year-old cousins.
A 15-year-old boy was charged with the rape and sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl.
The DPP’s Office says 28 people were charged with a total of 53 counts of separate serious sexual offences in July.
There were 36 cases of rape, 1 case of attempt to commit rape, 5 cases of indecent assault, 6 cases of defilement and 5 cases of sexual assault.
In July, there were 25 victims of whom 17 victims were under the age of 18 years.
There was one male victim and 24 female victims.
There were 6 incidents where the victims and the accused were related to one another.
A 71-year-old man was charged with the attempt to commit rape and rape of his 25-year-old stepdaughter, however, this matter was discontinued due to the inability to locate the complainant.
There were two other incidents where a 62-year-old and a 45-year-old man were charged with the rape and sexual assault of their 22-year-old and 15-year-old stepdaughters.
In another incident, a 24-year-old man was charged with the rape of his 11-year-old nephew.
There were two separate incidents where two 19-year-old men were charged with the defilement, rape, and indecent assault of a 15-year-old girl and a 20-year-old woman.
The accused persons and the victims were from the same school.
There was one incident where a 41-year-old man was charged with burglary, rape and sexual assault of a 49-year-old woman.
The accused who was a family friend allegedly held a knife to the victim’s neck as he raped her.
A 41-year-old man was charged with the rape and sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl.
The accused was a family friend.
There was one incident where a 72-year-old man was charged with the indecent assault of a 4-year-old girl however, this matter was discontinued due to the mental condition of the accused person.
A 24-year-old man was charged with the rape of a 37-year‑old Australian national however this matter was discontinued after the complainant refused to return to Fiji to give evidence.
There was one incident where a 35-year-old security officer was charged with the rape of a 21-year-old woman and in another incident a 25-year-old bus driver was charged with the rape and indecent assault of an 11-year-old girl.
Eight cases were withdrawn due to insufficient evidence, inability to locate the complainants, complainant refusing to return to Fiji to give evidence and the mental condition of the accused person.
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