Josefa Sigavolavola 
[Photo: FILE]
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has confirmed that violent assaults were the most common serious offences prosecuted last month.
According to the data by the ODPP, out of 36 counts filed in the High Court, six were for acts intended to cause grievous harm, making it the highest recorded offence last month.
The ODPP report detailed several disturbing incidents. In one case, a man allegedly smashed a bowl on another’s face during an altercation, while in another, an accused set fire to a victim’s house before attacking two individuals and a separate incident involved a confrontation where a man swung a cane knife at a police officer during a raid.
Additionally, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and theft followed closely behind recording five counts each.
These crimes included street muggings, home invasions, school break-ins, and even an attempted burglary at the Republic of Fiji Military Forces armory. Other serious charges filed during the month included murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, arson, attempted arson, unlawful wounding, and trafficking in persons. In total, 37 individuals were charged with 36 counts of serious offences, with 26 victims recorded across the cases.
The ODPP report further noted that the figures highlight the persistent challenge of violent crime in Fiji, particularly offences involving grievous harm and robbery, the report also emphasized that these statistics reflect the seriousness of cases being brought before the courts in the past month
