20 Jun 2013

Woman allegedly abducted on Solomons bus and raped, tied to tree

3:22 pm on 20 June 2013

Solomon Islands police are investigating the alleged abduction and rape of a 21-year-old woman in the capital Honiara.

A media officer says the woman was travelling on a public bus from west Honiara to visit relatives near the airport in the east when she was allegedly abducted last week.

Spink Mahuta says the woman was left with the driver and three other men when all the other passengers got off at the Lunga bus-stop.

He says she is too traumatised right now to tell police what happened after that but it appears she was taken to a secluded area nearby, raped and left tied to a tree.

"From Wednesday she was tied up and then those suspects visited her again on Friday, twice, giving her little food and water. She was promised again to be visited on Saturday if she was still around - they'll do something to her, I don't know what."

Spink Mahuta says it seems the men were either going to kill the woman or free her but after they left she managed to escape and crawl to the main road for help.

The incident follows the recent kidnapping and assault of a Chinese businessman while aboard a bus.