A Fijian man faces serious charges after allegedly assaulting a Virgin Australia flight attendant in Nadi on New Year’s Day
Nadi: A man is in hot water after being accused of raping a Virgin Australia flight attendant. This incident happened on New Year’s Day, and he’s been denied bail.
The accused, Ilaisa Tanoa Degei, is just 24 and hails from Navosa. He showed up in court facing serious charges, including sexual assault and rape.
According to the court, Degei allegedly attacked the 21-year-old flight attendant from Melbourne after she had been out celebrating the new year with her crew at a nightclub.
Because of the gravity of the charges, the case has been bumped up to Fiji’s High Court. They’ll be back in court on January 20.
For now, Degei is behind bars. If he’s found guilty, he could be looking at a hefty 20 years in prison.
The incident took place after the crew had left the nightclub, which is a popular spot in Nadi. The woman got separated from her friends while trying to head back to her hotel.
Fiji has strict lockout laws, meaning nightclubs have to close by 1am, which adds to the complexity of the situation.
In a separate but related incident, another Virgin crew member was attacked and robbed, suffering injuries to his face.
The nightclub where the crew had been is trying to clarify that the incidents didn’t happen on their premises, emphasizing that they’ve never had issues like this before.
Fiji’s deputy prime minister expressed regret over the situation, reminding everyone that such incidents can happen anywhere, even in paradise.
This is tough news for Fiji, especially since the country relies heavily on tourism, particularly from Australia. Just last month, there was another alarming incident where several people were hospitalized after drinking cocktails at a resort.
It’s a lot for the community to handle, and our thoughts are with the victims as they navigate this difficult time.
