The mother of the one-year-ten-months-old baby who is charged with manslaughter told the Suva High Court that she, her husband and her child went to Sawanikula, Dawasamu on 20th February, 2013, the day after she took her child to the Samabula Health Centre.
29-year-old Loata Vitalina and 34-year-old Petero Taitusi of Sawanikula, Dawasamu are charged with a count each of manslaughter arising from the breach of their duties which caused the death of their baby.
Prosecution lawyer Susan Serukai put to Vitalina that while she was at the Samabula Health Centre, no medical staff at anytime told her that her child is fit to leave.
Vitalina told the court that she cannot answer that question.
Serukai then put to Vitalina that she tricked the nurses that she had taxi fare and left the hospital.
Vitalina told the court that the reason she went home and used the taxi was because her child was crying for food and they had waited for the ambulance for one and a half hours.
Serukai then asked why she did not take her child to the CWM Hospital.
Vitalina said that it came in her mind to go to Sawanikula.
Serukai then asked the mother on whether she took her son to Vunidawa Health Centre.
Vitalina said that there was no time to take her son to hospital.
Serukai then suggested that the woman knew her child was sickly but she opted to go and present yaqona in a I‑Taukei traditional ceremony.
Vitalina later agreed that they went to Sawanikula to present yaqona to seek traditional forgiveness because their child was sickly.
Serukai then suggested to Vitalina that she deprived or took away the chance of her child from getting the treatment he needed.
This question was not put across to the witness as the translator and the counsels were not able to translate it in the I-Taukei language.
The child’s father has chosen to remain silent.
