20 Aug 2002

200 rioting Tongan students due back in court today for bail hearings

10:48 am on 20 August 2002

A group of more than 200 Tongan high school students, facing charges of wilful damage, will be in court for bail hearings today.

The students, from Tupou College, allegedly causing thousands of dollars of damage in an early morning raid on rival Tonga College last week.

They have been in custody for six days, housed in police cells across the main island of Tongatapu.

The destructive spree followed a series of fights between students of the schools, and after Tonga College had beaten Tupou College in two successive rugby matches.