8 Mar 2013

Soldier father of Fiji torture victim begs Bainimarama to act

2:22 pm on 8 March 2013

The father of the Fiji man whose brutal beating by security officers was filmed and posted online is begging the prime minister and the president to ensure the men responsible are taken to justice.

The Fiji Times reports Vueti Sanawa, a retired military officer, as saying the torture of his son, Iowane Benedito, is worse than anything he witnessed in his 29 years as a soldier.

His wife, Viriseini Sanawa, is reported as saying her son had done wrong and she would have accepted if he had been locked up rather than brutalised.

The police have confirmed that the people seen beating and sexually abusing two tied-up prison escapees in a nine-minute long video released on Tuesday are Fijian security personnel.

The police say they will issue no further statement until an investigation is complete and its findings are released and, as well as making no comment, the regime says it will be taking its lead from the police.

The Times reports Mr Sanawa as saying he has given the best of his life serving the country and is disappointed.

He says he will not find peace until justice is done to those who are involved.