Woman allegedly held in home for days, injured in repeated assaults

Sisituutuumata Fulivai, 44, has been remanded in custody by the ACT Magistrate Court. Photo: Michelle Kroll.

CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to alleged sexual assault.

A man has been remanded in custody and accused of rape and assault after police officers came across a naked woman screaming on a central Canberra street.

Sisituutuumata Fulivai, a 44-year-old from Lyneham, has been charged with sexual intercourse without consent, assault and unlawful confinement over the allegations.

ACT Policing said officers had been patrolling Fairweather Circuit in Lyneham at around 7 pm on Monday (10 June) when they saw a naked woman running up the street while screaming.

The officers stopped and brought the woman inside their police car, where she alleged she had been confined to a nearby residence by a man for a number of days.

She also alleged this man committed a number of assaults and sexual assaults against her, causing numerous injuries.

Police went to Mr Fulivai’s home and arrested him a short time later.

He faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday (11 June), where his lawyer, Giordano Borzuola of Legal Aid, said he would not apply for bail.

The prosecutor told the court that the allegations were not family violence-related.

Magistrate Glenn Theakston remanded Mr Fulivai, who was brought into the courtroom in socks, a blue t-shirt, grey track pants and what appeared to be a brown towel wrapped around his waist, in custody to 1 July for a mention of the matter. No pleas were entered.

If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT 02 6280 0900, and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.