Relative testifies in rape trial
The relative of a 25-year-old male rape victim told the High Court in Suva yesterday that they were drinking alcohol in the hours leading up to the alleged rape incidents.
The family member said on July 5, 2014, his brother’s wedding reception was celebrated at their home in Nausori and the complainant and accused were both there as they were all related.
He said after the reception at about 10pm, a group of five boys including himself and the accused sat around drinking alcohol at his house.
He said the complainant’s house was about 20 to 50 footsteps away from the house.
Between 10:30pm to 11pm the complainant, who was 21-yearsold at the time, joined them for drinks.
The relative testified that they were drinking beer and hard liquor simultaneously and claimed after a while the accused pulled his pants down to his thigh and started dancing in front of the complainant.
He said the accused was telling the victim to “drink this” while dancing and he took it to mean that the accused was referring to his private part. He said the boys including the complainant were laughing along with the accused when he was doing that.
The relative said he immediately told the accused not to conduct such acts because they would all have to leave the premises if his mother saw what was happening. He added that the boys started behaving in a better manner and they all continued drinking until they finished all the alcohol at around midnight.
At this point the boys wanted to continue drinking, however the relative said he told them to buy their own alcohol and drink elsewhere.
He testified that the accused and three other boys told the victim to follow them to a house across the road where they would continue drinking and they would drop him home afterwards.
The complainant pleaded with his relative to follow him to the party, however the relative told him that he would follow their lead later after his dinner.
The Court heard that at about 12am to 12:45am after finishing his dinner, the relative went out to his driveway to go to the house across the road where the boys were drinking when he saw that all the lights were out.
However he said he heard noise and laughter and he immediately picked up his phone and called the complainant’s two older brothers, but to no avail.
He told Justice Riyaz Hamza that he called the complainant’s brothers for them to take the complainant out from the drinking place because of the bad behaviour earlier portrayed by the boys and because the relative was not present to stop such behaviour from happening. He said when the complainant’s brothers did not answer his calls, he went inside his house and slept. The next morning while driving to work with the complainant, he asked the complainant what happened at the drink-up and the complainant broke down into tears and told him that he was raped. The complainant also showed him bite marks on the left side of his neck and chest and scratches on his shoulder.
The relative said he then advised the complainant to relay the incident to his brothers and mother and also report it to the relevant authorities.
The trial continues in the High Court today.
The accused is on bail and is represented by Defence lawyer Sunil Kumar while State lawyer Susan Serukai is appearing for the Prosecution.