The trial of a 46-year-old man charged with one count of rape started before High Court Judge, Justice Achala Wengappuli today.
It is alleged that Peniasi Tabakanavanua raped a 34-year-old woman between 21st and 22nd February, 2010 in Lau after a drinking party.
The victim told the court that she went for a holiday to Lau and stayed with her cousin.
She told the court that on the day of the alleged incident, the woman, her cousin and other people were sitting at their place when the accused and another person approached them to join them for some homebrew at about 10pm.
She said they agreed and the accused went and got a 22 litre bucket of homebrew.
The court heard that they all went to a market place to drink the homebrew.
She told the court that they stayed at the market place for half an hour and because of the loud music they went to another place.
She said they continued drinking and she and her cousin dosed off to sleep.
The woman said she was then raped by Tabakanavanua.
During the cross examination, defence lawyer Teresia Rigsby put to the victim that she is lying and the sexual activity that took place between her and Tabakanavanua was consensual.
The victim told the court that she is not lying and she did not give her consent.
The trial will continue tomorrow.
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