Fijian solider accused of rape pleads not guilty
A Fijian cadet accused of raping a sleeping colleague in her room at the Royal Military College Duntroon will fight the allegations at trial, his lawyers said on Friday.
ACT police arrested Fijian national Samisoni Loloma Baikeitoga, 23, earlier this month after receiving results from forensic testing. Mr Baiketoga was charged with sexual intercourse without consent.
The alleged rape is said to have occurred early in the morning on March 31 this year, after the woman had returned to her quarters from a night out at Mooseheads.
Mr Baiketoga’s matter appeared briefly in the ACT Magistrates Court where his solicitor Jacob Robertson said his client would plead not guilty to the charge of rape.
Documents tendered in court say that the woman, who cannot legally be identified, was out drinking at Mooseheads with a group of other staff cadets on March 31.
She ran into a group of Fijian staff cadets from the military college, who she danced with, the documents say.
The woman left the nightclub with a male staff cadet, who dropped the woman off at the entrance of her accommodation.
About 2.45am the woman entered the building at Duntroon, went to her room and fell asleep.
It is alleged that the woman woke later to find her pants and underwear removed and a man on top of her engaging in sexual intercourse.
She told the man to "stop" several times but he did not, the documents allege.
Mr Beikeitoga, who was also at the the time a cadet at the college, is accused of the rape.
The case returns to court on September 28. Mr Beikeitoga remains in custody.