High Court Judge, Justice Salesi Temo has found 40-year-old security officer Josua Colanaudolu guilty of one count of murder, 6 counts of rape, 1 count of abduction and one count of indecently annoying a female.
While delivering his judgement Justice Temo found Colanaudolu not guilty of 3 counts of abduction.
These charges of abduction were in relation to the three women who were raped by Colanaudolu.
The three assessors had earlier found Colanaudolu guilty of one count of murder, 6 counts of rape, 4 counts of abduction and one count of indecently annoying a female.
The charges also include the case where Colanaudolu abducted, raped and murdered the 14‑year‑old girl in Deuba in March last year.
Colanaudolu was also raping the women since the 1990s and they came forward after the girl’s death.
They said that they did not come forward in the past as he continued to threaten them that he would kill them.
Assistant DPP Lee Burney has asked life sentence and a minimum term of 30 years imprisonment for Colanaudolu.
Justice Temo then asked Burney whether a 30 year minimum term will be enough to protect the community at large.
The presiding judge said that he recently gave a minimum term of 28 years in the case where 5 people were killed in Nakasi.
Burney said that they will go for a minimum of 30 years.
Justice Temo then asked Colanaudolu’s age and it was confirmed that it is 40.
Defence lawyer Michael Fesaitu said that the judge should not fix a minimum term.
Justice Temo then told Fesaitu whether he wants all mothers of 14 year old girls in Fiji to hang the judge.
Fesaitu maintained that they do not want the court to set a minimum term.
Justice Temo will sentence Colanaudolu at 11.30am tomorrow.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations
