A Fijian man accused of raping a Virgin Australia crew member on New Year’s Day is behind bars after facing court.
The 24-year-old was charged with one count of rape and one count of sexual assault after he allegedly attacked the 21-year-old flight attendant on Wednesday.
The woman had been celebrating New Year’s Eve with colleagues in Nadi, an international gateway to Fiji’s most popular tourist destinations on the western side of the nation’s main island.
The accused man faced the Nadi Magistrates Court on Monday.
According to local media outlets, the presiding magistrate ordered him to file a bail application in the High Court.
The man was remanded in custody and is expected to face the higher court on January 20.
The airline crew had gone to a nightclub district during their layover before one member was allegedly robbed and another sexually assaulted in two separate incidents.
Fiji Women’s Rights Movement executive director Nalini Singh said the allegations were disturbing and there was no excuse for violence against women.
“We need to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice and also address the patriarchal ideologies in our communities which perpetuates violence against women and girls – whether they are from Fiji or other countries,” she told AAP.
Some Virgin Australia staff members had attended Bar One in Nadi on New Year’s Eve.
The establishment acknowledged crew from the airline frequented the venue but said the alleged incident did not take place within its immediate vicinity.
“The Virgin Airlines Crew are regular customers at Bar One and we have never experienced any similar incidents in the past, so it is disheartening to see our establishment portrayed in a negative light due to circumstances not directly related to our bar,” a Bar One social media post said.
The woman had reportedly been separated from her companions and was attempting to return to the hotel after the nightclub’s lockout when the incident occurred.
Fiji’s lockout laws were amended in 2023 to force all nightclubs to close at 1am.
The suspect involved in the alleged sexual assault incident was known to police, according to the Fijian government.
Earlier in the week, Fiji’s Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka expressed concern for the flight crew and said “incidents like this can happen anywhere and Fiji is not immune”.
There are concerns the incidents could hurt Fiji’s tourism-reliant economy especially after seven visitors, including four Australians, fell ill after drinking cocktails at a five-star resort in December.
But the Australian government’s tourism website has not changed its advice for the Pacific nation.
It maintains Australians should exercise normal safety precautions and highlights the possibility of crime, noting the highest risk is in urban areas and at night.
The Virgin crew members stayed in their hotel near Nadi International Airport after the incidents and the airline sent support staff to Fiji.
The crew members returned to Australia last week.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
