4 FIJIANS

IN AUSTRALIA

CHARGED WITH RAPE

Awoman allegedly gang raped by four men she met in a Civic nightclub feared she would be killed or knocked unconscious if she didn’t let them attack her, police say.

The repeated assaults allegedly took place over a period of more than four hours.

Josefa Navunisinu Masivesi, 44, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to raping the woman.

His co-accused, Saimoni Vunilagi, Isimeli Ilimeleki Natuwawa Vatanitawake, and Ratu Jone Pio Macanawai face the same charge. Documents tendered to the ACT Magistrates Court said the four men were together at Mooseheads nightclub about 4.30am on November 3, 2019 when the woman started speaking to Mr Masivesi.

She was drunk, and hugged Mr Vunilagi, who kissed her before she turned away, the documents said. A few minutes later, she kissed him, but held her dress down as he allegedly tried to pull it up.

Mr Vunilagi later hit a stranger in the nightclub who told him to let the woman go, the documents said. She had started moving away from Mr Vunilagi, but he had allegedly kept hold of her.

The men left Mooseheads about 5am after Mr Vunilagi was escorted out by security guards.

The woman joined all the men, except Mr Masivesi, in a taxi after Mr Vunilagi held her wrist as they walked down Verity Lane in Canberra city, the documents said. When the group arrived at Mr Masivesi’s house in Downer about 5.40am, Mr Vunilagi allegedly led the woman to a bedroom and told her to take her clothes off and get on a bed.

The court documents said the woman decided she “would sooner go through it and get out alive ... [than] be found dead or unconscious” in the house.

Mr Vunilagi allegedly raped the woman as she cried and told him to stop. He allegedly stayed in the room as Mr Vatanitawake and Mr Macanawai also raped her.

When the woman tried to leave, Mr Vunilagi grabbed her hair and shoved her face into Mr Macanawai’s crotch, the documents said. She allegedly had hair ripped from her scalp in the attack.

The woman screamed for Mr Macanawai to “please stop” when he

Officers obtained CCTV from Mooseheads, and the four men were later arrested. All are expected to appear in court again on February 10.

allegedly raped her, and music was turned up in the house’s lounge room to cover the sound, the documents said.

None of the three men are said to have been wearing condoms when they allegedly raped the woman. When Mr Masivesi came into the room after Mr Vunilagi eventually left, he penetrated the woman with his fingers, the court documents said.

When she started having a panic attack, he allegedly stopped, apologised, and told her, “I’ll take you back home when you wake up”, before leaving the room.

The woman woke up between 30 minutes and an hour later to feel Mr Vunilagi sexually assaulting her, the documents said. He also allegedly had his hand around her neck.

The documents said the woman told Mr Vunilagi, “How would you feel if it was one of your own sisters or one of your own daughters?”.

She eventually escaped the house and approached a man on the street, who called her a taxi about 10.20am, the documents said.

She reported the incident to police the same day.

Officers obtained CCTV from Mooseheads, and the four men were later arrested. All are expected to appear in court again on February 10.