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A man has faced court in Fiji after being charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a Virgin Australia cabin crew member on New Year’s Eve.
The 24-year-old, identified as Suva farmer Ilaisa Tanoa Degei, fronted Nadi Magistrates Court on Monday. Tanoa Degei is alleged to have lured the woman into his car posing as a taxi driver, and has been charged with one count of rape and one of sexual assault.
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Virgin Australia is providing support to the 21-year-old crew member, who has returned home to Melbourne following the incident, while Tanoa Degei has been remanded into custody, with a hearing set for 20 January.
The incident is one of two affecting Virgin Australia crew members in Fiji over the New Year period, with a male crew member having been violently mugged in Nadi on New Year’s Day.
The airline has declined to comment out of respect to their employees, but nightclub Bar One Fiji in Martintar, where the woman had been celebrating before becoming separated from her friends before the assault, issued a statement on social media saying it had no connection to the incident.
“While we acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, we feel it is important to clarify that this incident did not take place within Bar One, nor in the immediate vicinity of our establishment,” the statement read.
“The Virgin Airlines Crew are regular customers at Bar One and we have never experienced any similar incidents in the past, so it is disheartening to see our establishment portrayed in a negative light due to circumstances that is not directly related to our Bar.
“We appreciate the support of our loyal customers during this time, and we remain committed to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone who walks through our doors.”
The Flight Attendants’ Association of Australia’s federal secretary, Teri O’Toole, told the AAP news agency that Virgin had acted quickly to help.
“This is not a very common thing, but it’s not something that’s never happened before, either,” she said.
“It’s very disturbing for their friends and colleagues. Everyone is very concerned for their welfare.”
Virgin operates daily flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Nadi, with crew sometimes staying overnight before returning home the next day.
