ODPP Serious Crime (Non-Sexual Violence Offences) Statistics – January 2018

The following data is authorised for release by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and relates to the number of formal indictments (Information) filed in the High Courts of Fiji by the Director of Public Prosecutions throughout the month.

This data is confined to incidents of serious crimes other than sexual violence offences which are recorded and published separately. This data also includes offences committed by police officers.

There were 56 people charged with a total of 63 counts of separate incidents in January. The offences were murder (2) aggravated robbery (9), attempted aggravated robbery (1), aggravated burglary (10), theft (14), assault (2), assault causing grievous bodily harm (3), assault causing actual bodily harm (2), act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (3), unlawful cultivation (3), possession of illicit drugs (2), arson (1), damaging property (1), resisting arrest (1), escaping from lawful custody (1), breach of DVRO (1) and conversion (7).

There were 5 juveniles charged with aggravated robbery and theft offences.

There were 41 victims of the 63 counts of separate incidents. Of the 41, there were five incidents where the accused and victims were related to one another. One of the incidents involved a 27-year-old man who allegedly hit his wife with the intent to cause her actual bodily harm before he allegedly raped her. (NB: The offence of rape is recorded separately).

In another incident a 44-year-old man allegedly assaulted his 35-year-old wife with a cane knife.

There were two separate incidents of murder. In one incident, a 35-year-old man and a 25- year-old female physically assaulted a 25-year-old man after an argument which caused his death. In another incident, a 37-year-old man was charged with murder after he struck his 35-yearold neighbour with a cane knife resulting in the victim’s death. There was one incident where a 25-year-old student was charged with assault of a police officer.

The police officer was on duty when the alleged incident happened. There was one incident of theft and arson where the employee of a vessel allegedly stole the vessel and set fire to its radio room causing damage of $950. Cash amounts ranged from $55 to $10,806 and assorted items ranged from $197 to over $8,580 were stolen during the alleged aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary offences which consisted of home invasions, office and shop break-ins, vehicle break-ins and daylight street robberies.

The assorted items stolen ranged from wallets, mobile phones, jewellery, alcohol, electronic goods and household items.

There were three incidents of unlawful cultivation of illicit drugs. A 28-year-old, a 36-year-old and a 40-year-old man have been charged for allegedly cultivating 17 kilograms, 7.6 kilograms and 12 kilograms of cannabis sativa respectively.

There was one incident where a 65-year-old man was charged with 7 counts of conversion however this matter was withdrawn after the death of the accused person.

There was one incident where a 22-year-old man was charged with one count of resisting arrest while another 22-year-old man was charged with one count of escape from lawful custody after he allegedly escaped from a Police Station. Both the accused were also charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary offences. Five cases were withdrawn after discontinuances (Nolle Prosequi) were filed.

These matters were withdrawn due to lack of evidence in 4 cases and the death of the accused person in the fifth case. Refer to the table entitled ODPP Serious Crime (Non-Sexual Violence Offences) Statistics January 2018 for a break-down of these statistics.