news, crime, Simon Vunilagi, Mooseheads, Isimeli Vatanitawake, Josefa Masivesi
Three men who gang raped a young Canberra woman will be deported to Fiji once their jail time is up. Former rugby union player Simon Vunilagi, 45-year-old Josefa Navunisinu Masivesi and Isimeli Ilimeleki Natuwawa Vatanitawake met their victim at Mooseheads in the early hours of November 3 last year. The group went back to Masivesi’s Downer unit, where each took turns raping the young woman as Fijian music drowned out her cries and screams. At the trio’s sentence hearing in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday, prosecutor Skye Jerome reiterated that Vunilagi was the “ringleader” of the sexual attack. “He used force and intimidated [the young woman]. He did not allow her to leave,” Ms Jerome said. “He treated the victim in an inhumane way. He degraded and humiliated the victim that morning.” Vunilagi faces the most jail time of the three men, after Chief Justice Helen Murrell found him guilty of seven counts of rape and one act of indecency. On Wednesday, the judge said it was “inevitable” the former rugby player would get at least 12 months’ prison, and therefore have his partner visa cancelled. But barrister Katrina Musgrove urged her to consider the consequences that would have on his family – particularly his fiance – who described Vunilagi as “a gentleman who is caring, loving, supportive of family and respectful”. The barrister said Vunilagi wanted to “inspire” and “improve [the] lives” of young people through rugby and church, and his fiance had pointed to an occasion he helped a pregnant woman with her groceries as evidence of his good character. “Women who know him feel comfortable with him,” Ms Musgrove said. “They feel respected by him and no-one felt intimidated by him.” Ms Jerome said, regardless, Vunligai subjected the victim to a “traumatic event” and “continued to ignore [her] plea for the sexual attack to stop”. The prosecutor said Vunilagi did not use a condom when he orally raped the vulnerable woman, and at points, ordered that she have sex with the other men. Vatanitawake – one of those men – was found guilty of one count of rape. On Wednesday, Ms Jerome said he blamed his co-accused for the incident, and hadn’t shown remorse to date. “He did follow Vunilagi’s instruction – it was not momentary,” the prosecutor said. “No condom was used so there was a risk of pregnancy and disease transmission.” Vatanitawake’s barrister James Sabharwal said his client was 20 years old at the time of the rape, and came to Australia in March last year to play rugby league on a 12-month sporting visa. He said Vatanitawake had no family in the country, which may have been a contributing factor to his offending, and, at the conclusion of his jail sentence, he would be deported back to Fiji. The barrister noted Vatanitawake, like Masivesi, had already spent some 11 months behind bars on remand. “Obviously, Your Honour, he will serve some time,” Mr Sabharwal said. READ MORE: Barrister Steven Whybrow said his client, Masivesi, was a “pro-social” and “pro-community” man who had “succumbed to temptation” while he was intoxicated on the morning of the rape. He said Masivesi’s offending was not premeditated, given he did not express interest in the young woman while the group was at Mooseheads. But Chief Justice Murrell said the 45-year-old must have known bad things were happening to her in his house. During the trial, Masivesi gave evidence that he told Vunilagi: “This girl has to go, man – it’s not right, she’s no animal.” “He knew on his own admission things were going on that were inappropriate and wrong,” the judge said. Mr Whybrow said Masivesi’s visa had already been cancelled, so he would be taken into immigration detention and then deported back to Fiji once he was released from the Alexander Maconochie Centre. Chief Justice Murrell said she would sentence the trio on Friday. Last month, she acquitted a fourth man, 25-year-old Ratu Jone Pio Macanawaio, of two charges over the November 3 incident.
/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/5W4iRw6LNH53uM23K5syYZ/960da7c4-df4f-4212-a8ee-c3393d6c5fb6.jpg/r3_0_2550_1439_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
Three men who gang raped a young Canberra woman will be deported to Fiji once their jail time is up.
Former rugby union player Simon Vunilagi, 45-year-old Josefa Navunisinu Masivesi and Isimeli Ilimeleki Natuwawa Vatanitawake met their victim at Mooseheads in the early hours of November 3 last year.
At the trio’s sentence hearing in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday, prosecutor Skye Jerome reiterated that Vunilagi was the “ringleader” of the sexual attack.
“He used force and intimidated [the young woman]. He did not allow her to leave,” Ms Jerome said.
“He treated the victim in an inhumane way. He degraded and humiliated the victim that morning.”
Vunilagi faces the most jail time of the three men, after Chief Justice Helen Murrell found him guilty of seven counts of rape and one act of indecency.
On Wednesday, the judge said it was “inevitable” the former rugby player would get at least 12 months’ prison, and therefore have his partner visa cancelled.
But barrister Katrina Musgrove urged her to consider the consequences that would have on his family – particularly his fiance – who described Vunilagi as “a gentleman who is caring, loving, supportive of family and respectful”.
The barrister said Vunilagi wanted to “inspire” and “improve [the] lives” of young people through rugby and church, and his fiance had pointed to an occasion he helped a pregnant woman with her groceries as evidence of his good character.
“Women who know him feel comfortable with him,” Ms Musgrove said.
“They feel respected by him and no-one felt intimidated by him.”
Ms Jerome said, regardless, Vunligai subjected the victim to a “traumatic event” and “continued to ignore [her] plea for the sexual attack to stop”.
The prosecutor said Vunilagi did not use a condom when he orally raped the vulnerable woman, and at points, ordered that she have sex with the other men.
Vatanitawake – one of those men – was found guilty of one count of rape.
On Wednesday, Ms Jerome said he blamed his co-accused for the incident, and hadn’t shown remorse to date.
“He did follow Vunilagi’s instruction – it was not momentary,” the prosecutor said.
“No condom was used so there was a risk of pregnancy and disease transmission.”
Vatanitawake’s barrister James Sabharwal said his client was 20 years old at the time of the rape, and came to Australia in March last year to play rugby league on a 12-month sporting visa.
He said Vatanitawake had no family in the country, which may have been a contributing factor to his offending, and, at the conclusion of his jail sentence, he would be deported back to Fiji.
The barrister noted Vatanitawake, like Masivesi, had already spent some 11 months behind bars on remand.
“Obviously, Your Honour, he will serve some time,” Mr Sabharwal said.
Barrister Steven Whybrow said his client, Masivesi, was a “pro-social” and “pro-community” man who had “succumbed to temptation” while he was intoxicated on the morning of the rape.
He said Masivesi’s offending was not premeditated, given he did not express interest in the young woman while the group was at Mooseheads.
But Chief Justice Murrell said the 45-year-old must have known bad things were happening to her in his house. During the trial, Masivesi gave evidence that he told Vunilagi: “This girl has to go, man – it’s not right, she’s no animal.”
“He knew on his own admission things were going on that were inappropriate and wrong,” the judge said.
Mr Whybrow said Masivesi’s visa had already been cancelled, so he would be taken into immigration detention and then deported back to Fiji once he was released from the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
Chief Justice Murrell said she would sentence the trio on Friday.
Last month, she acquitted a fourth man, 25-year-old Ratu Jone Pio Macanawaio, of two charges over the November 3 incident.
