BY ROMINAH FAKA
The trial of a man charged with rape and murder of a woman at New Vunuha, Ngella in Central Province, scheduled to commence on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at the High Court did not proceed due to the presiding judge being on annual leave.
The court has adjourned the hearing for Monday next week, July 14, for confirmation on whether the trial will proceed or not.
Joe Koti, 41, is charged with one count of murder and one count of rape. He pleaded not guilty and the matter was committed to the High Court for trial.
The prosecution will call about seven witnesses for the trial.
Police allege that on August 25, 2024 at New Vunuha village, the 31-year-old deceased was at her home with her family.
On that day, the deceased’s family was having a family gathering.
Around 6pm, the family had their dinner, which was followed by discussion and storytelling sessions. The meeting ended around midnight.
After the meeting, the people that gathered for the family meeting left while the deceased and another two women remained at the deceased’s house to clean up.
Between 12am and 1am the deceased and the two women were cleaning when a person called in the house.
It was alleged that a person who had just come back from fishing, gave some fish to the deceased and the two women.
The deceased told one of the women to cook the fish while she left for a house belonging to a couple, which is about 40 to 50 meters away from her house.
It was alleged that she was returning a pot they had borrowed for the family gathering earlier that night.
The deceased returned after an hour had passed and told one of the women that her body was not okay.
The woman asked the deceased what had happened and saw blood flowing down between her legs.
The deceased told the woman that on her way, the accused grabbed both of her hands and shut her mouth and dragged her into the grass and raped her with force.
It was further alleged that the deceased felt something inside her belly that cracked and burst. After that she felt heavy bleeding.
The deceased struggled and managed to get up and tried her best to walk back to her house.
As she reached her house the two women tried their best to stop the bleeding however were unable to stop it.
They took her to Tulagi the morning of August 26 and later referred her to National Referral Hospital (NRH). However, upon her arrival at NRH she was pronounced dead.
John Wesley Zoze from the Office of Public Prosecution act for the crown and Ben Ifuto’o from PSO represent Koti.
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