A 31-year-old asylum seeker held at the Manus Island detention centre has been charged with the alleged rape of a local woman.
Rajeev Rajendran, originally from Sri Lanka, was charged in Lorengau court over the alleged assault which took place at a hotel on 17 January.
The acting provincial police commander, Senior Inspector David Yapu, said the man had met the woman at Lorengau market before taking her to a local hotel, where she was allegedly assaulted.
It is alleged she was raped three times there before she was able to reach a relative’s house. She was treated for injuries at Lorengau hospital.
“When she managed to escape she fainted on the riverside which is where she was rescued and taken to the hospital,” Yapu told Guardian Australia.
The woman, described by Yapu as an 18-year-old who is still in school, and her parents reported the alleged attack to police.
Rajendran’s case was adjourned in Lorengau court on Monday. He remains in police custody.
-Agencies
