Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre coordinator Shamima Ali has called for the immediate withdrawal of Amenoni Nasilasila from the Wardens 7s team.
She said she was appalled at the inclusion of the convicted rapist in the side competing in the Super 7s series presently in progress at Prince Charles Park, Nadi.
“We demand his immediate withdrawal from the team and totally condemn Nasilasila’s inclusion,” Ms Ali said.
“He is a convicted rapist and it is beyond belief that the Fiji Corrections Service has allowed him to play in the Wardens side – he is not a warden, he is an inmate,” she said.
She also demanded answers as to why he was allowed to play because he was convicted in a court of law.
“This is sending out a terrible message to rapists and would-be rapists. Rape is a heinous crime and once a person is convicted, they need to serve out their sentence – not be allowed to play rugby at their leisure.
“We demand an answer from the Commissioner of the Fiji Corrections Service and the courts as to how this was made possible.
“The Government has a robust plan for eliminating violence against women and a National Action Plan under development – this kind of incident actually negates all the good work done by the State and by NGOs in this area.”
The Fiji Corrections Service did not respond to emailed questions on the concerns raised by Ms Ali.
