A 48-year-old Taveuni man who in January this year struck a six-year-old child with a piece of wood, injuring and rendering him unconscious because he and the child’s dad did not like each other, has been sentenced to two years in jail by a high court in Labasa.
The incident occurred on 9 January at the child’s home.
The court heard that “there were some animosity” between Sailosi Korovakaturaga and the child’s dad. On the day of the incident, Sailosi went to the
child’s house armed with a piece of wood, saw the child playing outside on the verandah and struck him twice.
Korovakaturaga fled the scene, but not after the victim’s neighbour witnessed the attack.
The victim was taken to the Taveuni hospital where the examining doctor noted he was distressed, confused and in physical pain. The victim’s
eyes were swollen and he had sustained open lacerations on his forehead and face. The wound was two centimetre deep. The child was then
referred to the Labasa hospital for further medical attention.
Korovakaturaga is not eligible for parole until he has served a year behind bars.
