THE State has reduced the charges laid against three men accused of raping a 15-year-old family friend.
Prosecutor Unaisi Ratukalou filed the amended charges this morning reducing the three counts of rape to two counts of defilement and a count of sexual assault.
The trio appeared before Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu at the High Court in Suva on April 16.
The first accused is alleged to have committed the offence in January last year. The second accused is alleged to have committed the sexual acts on the complainant between January and April last year while the third allegedly committed the offence some time in September.
Ms Ratukalou’s application for the matter to be remitted to the lower court before Senior Magistrate Sufia Hamza given it is an indictable triable summary offence was granted.
The case has been adjourned to May 24.
