Virgin Australia crew allegedly raped and robbed in Fiji, Reuters reports
By Rishav Chatterjee
(Reuters) – Fiji police said on Thursday they were investigating an incident involving two crew members from Australian airline Virgin Australia who were allegedly victims of rape and theft in Nadi in the early hours of New Year’s Day.
The crew members were on a stopover in the popular tourist destination before they were scheduled to fly out the next day, acting police commissioner Juki Fong Chew said in a statement.
Virgin said it was aware of the incident and was sending people to Fiji to assist. No further details of the incident were disclosed in a statement to Reuters.
Fiji Police said investigations so far had revealed that some Virgin crew members had gone to a nightclub in Nadi.
“Unfortunately, two of the crew members became victims of suspected theft and rape after they left the nightclub and tried to find their way back to the hotel,” Chew said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
The South Pacific island nation of Fiji is a popular tourist destination, receiving 76,845 visitors in November, mostly from Australia, New Zealand and North America, according to the country’s tourism website.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
