Residents of a small farming community in Sigatoka are still reeling from the gruesome killing of a 53-year-old woman, allegedly hacked to death by a man on Wednesday morning.
The woman’s 14-year-old daughter was also allegedly attacked in the tragedy at Kabisi and has been admitted to the Lautoka Hospital.
Neighbour James Daven Prasad and his wife, Kiran, and son were first at the scene after hearing cries for help.
He said when he saw the woman, “the scene was an extremely disturbing sight”.
“We were at home when we heard (the woman) and her daughter screaming for help, saying ‘bachao, bachao’,” he said.
“When we got there, we saw her outside severely injured pleading for help.
“We saw the man wielding a cane knife and when we saw her daughter, she too had injuries to her body.
“Before she became unconscious, she kept on saying to save her daughter. It was a situation we couldn’t handle alone so we called out to all the nearby canecutters for help.”
Mr Prasad said he called both the police and the ambulance.
“We didn’t have time so I asked and got approval from police to transport them to the Sigatoka Hospital.”
Born and bred in Kabisi, he said he was still traumatised by the event.
“I was born here and in the last 50 years, I have not heard or seen something like this.”
Police spokeswoman Savaira Gonedua said a 53-year-old man was in police custody suspected of killing his de facto partner and attacking his stepdaughter with a cane knife.
“It is alleged that the suspect struck the victim with a cane knife yesterday (Wednesday) which had resulted in her death,” she said.
“The man is also alleged to have attacked his 14-year-old stepdaughter who is currently admitted at the Lautoka Hospital due to the injuries sustained.”
