Police Investigate Savusavu Custody Death

The investigation into the death of a man while in custody at the Savusavu Police Station in Cakaudrove on November 5 will provide important lessons for the Fiji Police Force.

Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration, Pio Tikoduadua, made this statement during his recent visit to Labasa. He said that such an incident should never have occurred, but unfortunately, it did.

“I think the lesson from this is that we need to be concerned with the welfare and well-being of the people we hold in our custody,” Mr Tikoduadua said.

“I know this is related to infrastructure, and we need to build better facilities.”

He revealed that he had heard concerns about the mental state of the alleged perpetrator, emphasising the need for better education and understanding among police officers.

“I am not blaming the police at all because I know these places are confined. We need to place these people in a safe and secure environment,” he said.“Also, it highlights the fact that special training is required for our personnel to identify such individuals.”

He confirmed that the investigation was on-going. The victim, Marika Radua was a farmer of Naviavia Settlement in Cakaudrove.

Police reported that he was allegedly assaulted by another detainee and that officers had rushed him to Savusavu Sub-divisional Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

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