Separate incidents involving two Virgin Australia crew members who apparently are victims of theft and rape during the early hours of New Year’s Day, are being probed by the Fijian authorities.
According to Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew, both incidents happened on a layover of the two crew members when they were on leave in the tourism hot spot for the next day.
Virgin Australia said it was aware of the allegations and had sent representatives to Fiji to assist the crew members. However, it refused to elaborate further.
Initial investigations suggested that some of the Virgin crew members had visited a nightclub in Nadi. On their way out, two of them fell victim to the alleged crimes.
“Unfortunately, two crew members were victims of alleged theft and rape while trying to find their way back to the hotel,” said Chew.
Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Viliame Gavoka, clarified that the incidents involved two different crew members. One was reportedly a victim of theft, while the other faced sexual assault. Gavoka expressed regret over the events and confirmed that a suspect known to police had been questioned in connection with the alleged sexual assault.
Fiji, a popular tourist destination in the South Pacific, welcomes thousands of visitors every month, mainly from Australia, New Zealand, and North America. In November alone, the country received 76,845 tourists, according to official tourism statistics.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the reports but declined further comment. The investigations into the two incidents are underway.
