Two men jailed for LDS Church sacrilege

Two men who pleaded guilty to theft and sacrilege have been sentenced by the Nausori Magistrates Court today.

21‑year‑old Mesulame Tuiwaru and 19‑year‑old Nepote Sokobalavu Waqa had broken into the LDS Church located in Waila and had stolen assorted electronic items valued at $1,950 on the 17th of last month.

Tuiwaru has been sentenced to 22 months imprisonment while Waqa has been sentenced to 20 months imprisonment.

Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne said in Fiji, religion plays a special role in the lives of the people, it is devastating for them to see their place of worship being desecrated and things stolen from them.

He adds that the criminals who fail to show respect to the other religions in this country need to be dealt with harsh sentences to denounce their behaviours.

Magistrate Somaratne highlighted that with the recent spate of sacrilege cases in Fiji whereby 14 cases were recorded from September 2017 to February this year, warrantees a custodial sentence.