Horror in Naqali: Teen killed in broad daylight

Life will never be the same for 57-year-old Vinau Lakitoga of Naqali Village, Naitasiri.

This is after her niece, 16-year-old Salote Sikitia, was brutally killed around midday on Tuesday.

Police say Salote was allegedly attacked by a 43-year-old mentally unstable man from the same village, who struck her several times with a cane knife.

Mrs Lakitoga, who had raised Salote since she was three, said the pain was still raw.

She struggled to speak as she recalled the last moments she saw the teenager alive picking up $5 coins before leaving to buy Tang orange drink powder.

“I still can’t accept that my daughter is gone, just like that,” she said through tears.

Salote, the daughter of Mrs Lakitoga’s sister-in-law, had grown up in her care and was seen as her own child.

She was a Year 11 student at Dilkusha Girls School, described as bubbly, smart and hardworking.

“We woke up that morning, had breakfast, and she changed all our drapes and curtains before cleaning the house. Then she asked to go buy the Tang,” Mrs Lakitoga said.

She added that villagers had long been fearful.

“This is not the first time this man has done this to children. We don’t feel safe after what happened.”

Eyewitness recounts horrifying scene

Eyewitness Jona Moli, 29, was at home when he heard screams outside. Rushing out, he saw his cousin, the alleged attacker, chasing Salote down the hill and across the road with a cane knife.

“I tried to catch up, but by the time I reached them, he was striking her multiple times until she lay motionless,” he said.

“He only stopped when I called out to him. He looked at me, then walked away with the knife like nothing had happened.”

Mr Moli wrapped Salote in a bedsheet and carried her to the roadside, hoping to get her to the Naqali Health Centre. Her injuries were severe — deep wounds to her head, face, back, and fingers.

“She was still alive when I carried her from the scene, but she was pronounced dead when we arrived at the Health Centre,” he said.

He believes the suspect may have been left unsupervised before the attack.

At home, she helped run errands for the family canteen and managed finances for their home extension.

“She helped me with everything,” Ms Lakitoga said. 

“She was always at my side.”

Mental health oversight

Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services, Penioni Ravunawa, said Saint Giles Psychiatric Hospital only releases patients after rigorous stability tests and with structured follow-up plans.

Families, he said, would be formally briefed on treatment requirements and warning signs.

The alleged attacker remains in police custody as investigations continue.