Four days an 'eternity of horrifying nightmare' for victim held captive, beaten, raped

A woman who was held captive and repeatedly raped has described her ordeal as "the eternity of a horrifying nightmare".

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"For most people four days is a passing moment of time - a long weekend, a brief holiday - but for me it was 96 hours of being stripped of my dignity," she said in a victim impact statement.

Her attacker, Sisituutuumata Fulivai, 47, was arrested in June 2024 after police found the woman naked, screaming and running down a Lyneham street.

She had been held captive, beaten and sexually assaulted in a nearby home.

He has launched an appeal of these convictions.

'Machete to my mind'

Four victim impact statements were read to the ACT Supreme Court on Monday, October 26.

Reading her statement through tears, the victim said the man "took a machete to my mind and my sense of safety in this world".

"The physical injuries were horrific but flesh heals, bruises fade, cuts close ... the psychological and emotional mutilation .. haunts me."

Speaking to Fulivai, she said that she had "reclaimed my life and my voice" and was "far more resilient than you could even comprehend".

"Your hold over me is extinguished, gone. You took 96 hours from me and I refuse to let you take any more."

Fulivai sat metres away in the dock, bail denied, with his arms crossed, frowning throughout court proceedings. At one stage he was warned not to talk while the statements were being read out.

'Protracted, extreme and degrading ordeal'

Defence barrister Christina Muthurajah urged the court to consider rehabilitation and a sentence that would not "crush any hope of him being able to re-enter into the community and get on with his life".

"The fact is at some stage he is going to be released," Ms Muthurajah said.

She told the court that until 2023 Fulivai had been a contributing member of the community with his own business and home.

The court heard that he had received multiple sanctions for violence against other inmates while in jail.

Prosecutor Nathan Deakes described the crimes as a "protracted, extreme and degrading ordeal driven by paranoia and sexual jealousy [and] committed by a man who has now shown no remorse".

Mr Deakes argued Fulivai "acted out of a desire for power and control and for his own sexual gratification".

The court heard medical evidence showed the victim suffering 52 individual injuries.

"Any sentence must recognise the importance of protecting women from sexual violence," Mr Deakes said.

Victim's evidence played during trial

During the multi-week trial, the victim's police interview was played to the jury.

She told police she and Fulivai met through mutual friends and had consensual sex before he became "aggressive and angry". The victim said he also started talking to himself in the third person.

She described Fulivai repeatedly hitting her in the head with "pretty much as much force as he could".

The ACT Supreme Court building, where Sisituutuumata Fulivai faced a sentencing hearing. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong

The woman also claimed she woke up in bed to find Fulivai raping her, before he started hitting her until she lost consciousness again.

The victim said that at one stage, she asked to use the bathroom, planning to escape out the back door, but he barged in and followed her "to make sure I didn't do anything wrong".

Fulivai then threatened to hit her with a green casserole dish that was in the bathroom, before he stripped her naked and assaulted her with a crutch.

The victim told police she was "terrified" and went to her knees begging him not to hit her.

The jury heard Fulivai had also taken the woman's phone and used a knife to threaten to kill her and her family.

She later managed to escape after a struggle near the front door.

Justice Belinda Baker will hand down Fulivai's sentence at a later date.

• Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; beyondblue 1300 224 636; Canberra Rape Crisis Centre 6247 2525

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