Fiji Sun

Wife Killer, Who Read Messages of HEr InfiDElity, GEts Life in Jail

- ASHNA KUMAR SUVA Edited by Ranoba Baoa Feedback: ashna.kumar@fijisun.com.fj

Aformer village headman, who read of his wife’s infidelity over text messages, provoking him to kill her, has received life imprisonme­nt by the High Court in Suva. While handing down Josevata Werelali Koroi’s sentence, , Justice Salesi Temo said people must learn to resolve their problem peacefully. “Either through counsellin­g or divorce proceeding­s in the Family Court,” Justice Temo said.

What happened in May, 2020

Koroi stabbed and killed his wife, Adi Elenani Waidrau, 27, on May 1, 2020.

Since 2017, Koroi knew his wife was having an affair with another man.

He tried to resolve the same by asking her to stop, but she persisted.

He did not seek a resolution to his marital problem in a Family Court. To him, unfortunat­ely, the answer was murder.

Justice Temo said to Koroi that the facts of his case demonstrat­ed once again the all too familiar problem of a spouse’s inability to deal peacefully with the infidelity of the other spouse.

“With the rise of liberalism in today’s world, free choices are often encouraged in individual­s, even among married people.

“Consequent­ly, infidelity among spouses sometimes creep in, if there was turmoil in the family,” he said. “The problem you encountere­d in your case is not unfamiliar in Fiji and the rest of the world. But people must learn to resolve the problem peacefully, either through counsellin­g or divorce proceeding­s in the Family Court.

“Murder, as a remedy, is no answer,” Justice Temo said.

Koroi has been given a minimum term of 18 years to be served before a pardon may be considered by the President of Fiji.

Justice Temo also explained to Koroi that he could not apply for a pardon until he had served the term of 18 years.

He added that after serving the minimum term, the offender could apply to the President of Fiji to pardon him upon the advice of the Mercy Commission, but it did not necessaril­y mean that he would be granted one.

 ?? Photo: Ashna Kumar ?? Josevata Werelali Koroi outside the High Court in Suva following his sentencing on April 7, 2021.
Photo: Ashna Kumar Josevata Werelali Koroi outside the High Court in Suva following his sentencing on April 7, 2021.

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