Four men – bouncers of the Ritz Nightclub in Suva – will now spend the next 14 years in prison before being allowed to seek parole.

Joveci Rabutoro, Serevi Degei, Ledua Rarawa and Etonia Vosa were sentenced to 14 years in jail on Thursday by Justice Salesi Temo at the High Court in Suva.

This is after they assaulted and gang-raped a 20-year-old university  student inside the nightclub on June 26, last year.

The court heard that the victim had gone to the nightclub with her friends at about 12.30am on the said date. While there, they drank four jugs of Rum and Cola before the victim decided to visit the toilet.

She was attacked by Vosa near the toilet and he carried her to the Karaoke Bar where the four men repeatedly assaulted and gang-raped her.

While sentencing the men, Justice Temo said they breached the trust the victim had on them as bouncers and doormen of the nightclub.

Justice Temo said their responsibility was to ensure the safety of nightclub patrons.

He said the men took advantage of the victim’s intoxicated condition by raping her.

Justice Temo stated that they did not only violently rape the victim, but also assaulted her before raping her.

Edited by: Maikeli Seru

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