Apenisa Waqairadovu 
[File Photo]
A 20-year-old housekeeper at a resort in the Yasawa Islands has been handed a suspended sentence for assaulting a foreign guest at a homestay on Waya Lailai earlier this year.
The court heard that the victim was asleep when the accused entered her homestay.
Upon waking and seeing the intruder, she attempted to restrain him but was dragged outside and assaulted before the man fled the scene.
A medical examination confirmed the victim sustained multiple injuries, including bruising and swelling to her face and arms, and abrasions on her knee.
The housekeeper was later identified and arrested. He pleaded guilty to the charge.
In delivering the sentence, the judge said foreign visitors expect to feel safe and secure during their stay in Fiji, but this trust was violated by the offender’s actions.
The court also noted an increase in similar offences in recent times.
The man had spent 28 days in remand and completed a rehabilitation program with Omega Christian Fellowship.
His sentence has been suspended for two years, during which he must not reoffend. Failure to comply will result in a six-month prison term.
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