Fiji police announced on Thursday that they are investigating an incident involving two crew members from Virgin Australia, who were raped and robbed in Nadi during the early hours of New Year’s Day.
Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew reported that the crew members were staying in the popular tourist destination on a layover before their scheduled departure the following day.
Virgin Australia, in a statement to Reuters, acknowledged the incident and confirmed that it had dispatched support staff to Fiji, although further details were not provided.
Preliminary investigations by Fiji police revealed that several Virgin crew members had visited a nightclub in Nadi. According to Chew, the alleged attack occurred after the victims left the nightclub and were attempting to return to their hotel. The investigation is ongoing.
Fiji, a South Pacific Island nation and renowned tourist hotspot, recorded 76,845 visitors in November, primarily from Australia, New Zealand, and North America, as per the country’s tourism website.
Despite its appeal as a tourist destination, Fiji faces crimes challenges such as theft from hotel rooms and purse snatching, Assault, including armed and sexual assault.
Acting Commissioner of Police Sakeo Raikaci said the overall crime rate increased by 28 percent during the month of September, 2024 when compared to the same period in 2023.
Raikaci added that the record for serious crime went up by 6 percent, crimes against children went up by 8 percent and the number of illicit drugs cases registered increased by 9 percent.
While Crimes against women recorded a decrease of 3 percent.
One particular case of theft recorded 56 counts, with perpetrators allegedly withdrawing approximately $9,000 from victims’ bank accounts.
