Prosecution witness says rape victim was not of good character
The third witness in the rape trial of Nitendra Bilash said in court that the rape victim was not a person of good character as she used to wear short skirts and tight jeans.
Arun Lata is a tenant at Bilash’s house in Nabua.
During the cross examination, Lata told the court that it does not look good when the girl wears short skirts and tight jeans.
She was then asked again if she was making up stories to cover for Bilash.
Lata told the court that she is not making up any stories for Bilash as she pays rent and her landlord is not keeping her there for free.
It is alleged that Bilash raped a 16-year-old girl at his residence in Nabua on 22nd July, 2013. Source: Fijivillage News, 26 May 2016
The third witness in the rape trial of Nitendra Bilash said in court that the rape victim was not a person of good character as she used to wear short skirts and tight jeans.
Arun Lata is a tenant at Bilash’s house in Nabua.
During the cross examination, Lata told the court that it does not look good when the girl wears short skirts and tight jeans.
She was then asked again if she was making up stories to cover for Bilash.
Lata told the court that she is not making up any stories for Bilash as she pays rent and her landlord is not keeping her there for free.
It is alleged that Bilash raped a 16-year-old girl at his residence in Nabua on 22nd July, 2013. Source: Fijivillage News, 26 May 2016
FWCC welcomes PM's statement on violence against women
The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre has welcomed the statement on violence against women by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama in Turkey.
Coordinator Shamima Ali said the Prime Minister must be congratulated for the speech which recognises that there is no excuse for violence against women.
Ali said they welcome Bainimarama’s statement on this global platform because it sends a strong message that violence against women will not be condoned.
She said violence against women and children in recent years has prompted national soul-searching and it is vital that our leaders speak out against the problem and also debunk the myths surrounding the dynamics of gender-based violence.
Ali said Bainimarama’s comments come at a time when two national leaders in the Speaker of Parliament Dr Jiko Luveni and a senior official of the Methodist Church Reverend Iliesa Naivalu, have made statements that effectively put the blame on women for provoking their partners’ violence and for arousing men to rape because of how they dress and questioning whether women can go and drink alcohol with men in the bushes.
She said these archaic ideas surrounding violence against women have been shown to be false by global research, including the Crisis Centre’s own major study titled ‘Somebody’s Life, Everybody’s Business”, which puts the spotlight on how prevalent, varied and widespread violence against women is across Fiji. Source: Fijivillage News
The Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre has welcomed the statement on violence against women by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama in Turkey.
Coordinator Shamima Ali said the Prime Minister must be congratulated for the speech which recognises that there is no excuse for violence against women.
Ali said they welcome Bainimarama’s statement on this global platform because it sends a strong message that violence against women will not be condoned.
She said violence against women and children in recent years has prompted national soul-searching and it is vital that our leaders speak out against the problem and also debunk the myths surrounding the dynamics of gender-based violence.
Ali said Bainimarama’s comments come at a time when two national leaders in the Speaker of Parliament Dr Jiko Luveni and a senior official of the Methodist Church Reverend Iliesa Naivalu, have made statements that effectively put the blame on women for provoking their partners’ violence and for arousing men to rape because of how they dress and questioning whether women can go and drink alcohol with men in the bushes.
She said these archaic ideas surrounding violence against women have been shown to be false by global research, including the Crisis Centre’s own major study titled ‘Somebody’s Life, Everybody’s Business”, which puts the spotlight on how prevalent, varied and widespread violence against women is across Fiji. Source: Fijivillage News
"One of them moved closer to me, he would be the same height as me but with a bigger and firmer built. He wore a hat pulled down to about eye level but I couldn't make out who he was as it was too dark. His voice sounded familiar to that of Pita Driti. He lifted his arm and cocked a hand gun on my face and asked me whether I knew that sound. I answered that I did. I could see the silhouette of the hand gun from the spec of light from a far off tube light at the top left hand corner of the building we were in. He then ordered me to sit on the floor at the spot where I was standing. I scratched my hair and he yelled why I was scratching my hair. I told him that a bug crawled up my hair of which he screamed that I am not allowed to scratch my hair as it could not be a bug since there was no light. I kept quite and remained still. After being interrogated for about 30 minutes, we were then ordered to run to the ground directly opposite the officer's mass. We were led down the road onto the steps to the ground up to a cement pitch which I presume is the cricket pitch. We were told to lie face down with our arms beside us and chin up. One of the soldiers asked me whether I was pregnant of which I said I was not sure. A pair of boots immediately jumped onto my lower and middle back and bounced on it for a few seconds. The soldiers started calling us names and were swearing at us. One of them walked to our faces and told us to kiss his boots which we did..."
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