Following serious concerns that due to the loud noises from a church service at Lagilagi Housing resulted in a girl’s desperate plea for help not being heard, Minister for Local Government Maciu Nalumisa says discussions should be held with the churches to lower their volume.
While responding to questions by fijivillage News following the tragic murder suicide on Sunday, Nalumisa says the incident in Lagilagi happened on a normal church service day.
He says this is something that needs to be discussed with the churches as it is near a residential area.
One neighbour recounted that they were busy with their morning chores and, due to the loud 10am Raiwaqa Pentecostal Church service, no one initially heard any cries for help.
The neighbour, who is originally from Vanua Levu says she was chasing her son outside when she encountered the daughter of the woman who had been stabbed, crying for assistance.
She rushed to the house and found the woman covered in blood, while her husband was allegedly still strangling her on the floor.
Fearing for her safety, she ran back home to seek her brother’s help and when her brother entered the house, he attempted to negotiate with the attacker to put the knife away but he was unsuccessful as the man threatened him with the weapon.
Meanwhile, the neighbour managed to save the couple's 8-month-old baby, who was nearly drowning in the sink during the chaos.
She says her brother later climbed up the fire exit steps to try and intervene, but saw the man take his own life.
Despite their efforts to save the woman, she succumbed to her injuries due to the severity of the stab wounds.
Police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing, and they are awaiting the results of the post mortem examination.
