ODPP Serious Crime (Non-Sexual Violence Offences) Statistics – March 2018

There were 66 people charged with a total of 71 counts of separate incidents in March. The offences were murder (1), attempted murder (2), manslaughter (1), aggravated robbery (17), attempted aggravated robbery (1), aggravated burglary (19), theft (20), assault causing actual bodily harm (3), act with intent to cause grievous harm (3), arson (1), dangerous driving (1) debt bondage (1) and abduction (1).

The following data is authorised for release by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and relates to the number of formal indictments (Information) filed in the High Courts of Fiji by the Director of Public Prosecutions throughout the month.

This data is confined to incidents of serious crimes other than sexual violence offences which are recorded and published separately.

This data also includes offences committed by Police officers.

Of the 66 people charged, one was a Police officer who was charged with one count of dangerous driving.

There were four juveniles charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and theft offences. There were 41 victims of the 71 counts of separate incidents. Of the 41, there were 7 incidents where the accused and victims were related to one another.

There was one incident of murder where a 21-year-old man died after a prolonged beating by three accused persons in the Western division.

In two separate incidents, a 51-year-old and a 37-year-old man were charged with one count each of attempted murder of their wife and cousin respectively. There was one incident of manslaughter where a 39-year-old doctor was charged after a 56-year-old man died of heart attack following a fight with the accused person. Cash amounts ranged from $80 to $1,000 and assorted items ranging from $10 to over $105,000 were stolen during the alleged aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary offences which consisted of home invasions, office and shop breakins, vehicle break-ins, and daylight street robberies.

The assorted items stolen ranged from mobile phones, jewellery, alcohol, electronic goods and household items.

There were two separate incidents of assault causing actual bodily harm where both the accused and the victims were husbands and wives. In one incident, the accused was a 32-year-old army officer who is alleged to have assaulted his 28-year-old wife.

In another separate incident, three accused persons were charged with assault causing actual bodily harm. They were alleged to have assaulted a 22-year-old Police officer while he was on duty.

A 34-year-old man was charged with acting with intent to cause grievous harm for allegedly attacking his wife with an axe while in another incident, a 35-year-old man was charged with acting with intent to cause grievous harm for allegedly beating his wife with an electric cord.

A 29-year-old woman was charged with arson for allegedly setting her father’s home on fire in Namosi. There was one incident of abduction where a 26-year-old man was also charged with rape and sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl. (NB: The offences of rape and sexual assault were recorded separately). Five cases were withdrawn after discontinuances (Nolle Prosequi) were filed. Four cases were withdrawn due to insufficient evidence while one case was withdrawn after the complainant left the country. Refer to the table entitled ODPP Serious Crime (Non-Sexual Violence Offences) Statistics March 2018 for a break-down of these statistics.