THE United Pentecostal Church has refuted claims that loud music from the church on Sunday morning drowned 13-year-old Maryanne Tuinasakea’s cry for help.
The primary school student said when the incident happened, she called out for help but her neighbours at Lagilagi Housing in Jittu Estate didn’t hear her at all.
Sainimere Tuinasakea was allegedly stabbed after an argument at their home on Sunday morning.
Her daughter Maryanne said she couldn’t hear her mother’s plea for help where she lay wounded in the house because of the loud music.
However, the church’s general secretary, Pastor Sunia Vakamoce, yesterday said their singing had ended and the sermon had started when the incident happened.
“The church should not be blamed because our singing was over by the time that incident happened,” Mr Vakamoce said.
“Our pastor who preached that Sunday said he heard the girl screaming for help and he knew something serious had happened.
“Sometimes, society blames the church but it could have been an underlying issue that triggered the incident. That is why we all must work together to address domestic violence in our country.”
The Fiji Times team visited residents of Lagilagi Housing and a few who spoke on the condition of anonymity agreed with the Tuinasakea family.
“We live right next to them and we were having breakfast, but we couldn’t hear anything at all,” a resident said.
“The music from the church was so loud that we couldn’t even hear Maryanne crying for help from her flat which sits close to our flat.”
Another resident claimed that those living across the road in Jittu, closer to Raiwaqa, heard the cry for help.
“They came running and alerted us because they heard Maryanne and I guess the wind carried her voice which is why they heard her,” the resident said.
“But we live close to them and beside the church and we didn’t hear anything at all.
This incident has attracted a lot of views on social media with calls made for church members to start visiting people in their homes and not just meet them on Sundays.
