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Offender Databases Fanuaea Leatigaga

Fanuaea Leatigaga

Alias

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Offences

Double rape, sexual violation, indecent assault, aggravated burglary
Sexual assaults on four Christchurch females aged 15 and 21 between August 2005 and early 2006
Committed one of these attacks while on bail for another rape

Victims

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Offender Affiliations

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Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1986

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to eleven years with a seven year minimum term in October 2006
Will be deported upon sentence completion February 2013

Background
NZ Herald story here
The Press Christchurch, February 18th, 2008
One of a serial sex attacker's teenage victims has killed herself. Before she took her own life last December, the 17-year-old wrote in a school essay of her anger that her attacker, Fanuaea Leatigaga, went on a sex-crime spree while on bail.

When she was 15, the girl was Leatigaga's first rape victim. The Samoan immigrant was jailed for 11 years in Oct- ober 2006 on multiple sex charges, including two rapes.

On January 17, 2006 -- two weeks after he raped the teenager -- the High Court granted Leatigaga bail. He went on to sexually assault three other women, including raping a 21-year- old pregnant woman at knifepoint. The first rape victim's father, who The Press cannot identify, contacted the newspaper after reading of the case in The Weekend Press.

The Weekend Press revealed how police failed to act on key information reported by one of Leatigaga's earlier victims which may have prevented subsequent attacks. The victim -- a 16-year-old -- gave police Leatigaga's car registration on two occasions but police failed to act. Leatigaga went on to commit further sex crimes.

An Independent Police Complaints Authority in December highlighted a "catalogue of errors" by police. The family of the 17-year- old, who committed suicide on December 5 last year, nearly two years after she was raped, had felt the justice system also let them down.

"She got quite upset when he got granted bail and asked why," her father said. "It makes me really angry. I am very angry with the judge for letting this guy out on bail. If he hadn't been on bail, nothing would have happened to the rest. She could not figure out why he was out." His daughter felt devastated that the other sexual attacks were not prevented, he said.

Leatigaga approached his daughter outside Eastgate Mall about 4pm on December 28 and persuaded her into his car by offering her a lift home. Instead he took her to Lyttelton and raped her in the car. After the rape, his daughter went from a "happy-go-lucky" girl to having mood swings. She clammed up and started to harm herself.

"I had to lock all the knives in my car. She wouldn't talk about it. She wouldn't go to counselling," he said. "I talked to her about suicide and she said she would never do it. Her friend had done that and she said it had left a big hole in her life and she would never take her own life." After the rape, she changed schools and later completed a tourism and hospitality two- week course in Australia, after which she seemed OK, her father said.

From Christchurch Press story April 2006
A 20-year-old man may be jailed indefinitely after admitting sexual attacks against four Christchurch women who were totally unknown to him. Fanuaea Leatigaga, a process worker, pleaded guilty in the Christchurch District Court yesterday to two rapes, three counts of sexual violation, one of indecent assault and an aggravated burglary. Police withdrew charges of kidnapping, burglary and threatening to kill. Leatigaga did not plead to a further charge of obscene exposure and four other indecency counts. Prosecutor Andrew McRae told Judge John Bisphan that Leatigaga had committed several sexual offences over a short period - from last August to February - and was facing a sentence of preventive detention. One victim was a four-months- pregnant 21-year-old who was attacked and raped in her own home after he broke in.

According to the police summary of facts, which was not read in court, Leatigaga accosted a 15-year- old girl on the street and indecently assaulted her after asking her to be his girlfriend, raped one young girl after offering her a lift home, and attacked a 15-year-old girl and her 14-year-old friend in a school ground. In the first incident last August 25, Leatigaga followed a 15-year-old girl on his bicycle in Hay Street, Linwood, after approaching her similarly the previous day. The girl had tried to avoid Leatigaga by walking a different route home, but he grabbed her in a bear hug, kissed her on the lips, fondled her breasts and tried to pull down her skirt. On December 28, Leatigaga offered a lift home to a 15-year-old girl he had called out to while parked in his car. They chatted while he drove to Lyttelton, but Leatigaga closed the car windows and locked the doors. After asking if she wanted to be his girlfriend, Leatigaga lowered the passenger seat and raped her in the car.

About 3am on February 5 Leatigaga grabbed a 15-year-old girl around her waist as she and a girlfriend took a shortcut home through Aranui High School. Leatigaga sexually violated the girl while fighting off her 14-year-old friend. He ran off after the victim's friend managed to call police on a cellphone. Ten days later, Leatigaga broke into the Linwood home of a pregnant 21-year-old after she saw him outside the property and asked him why he was there. Leatigaga told her he was looking for someone he thought lived at the address and went away. When he returned and walked up her driveway a short time later the woman panicked, locked her front door and hid in a bedroom. As she tried to call family members, Leatigaga confronted her with a large kitchen knife and told her he wanted sex. The woman fought Leatigaga, cutting her hand on the knife, but Leatigaga overpowered her and she stopped fighting, fearing he would kill her or her unborn baby. Leatigaga sexually violated her, then raped her.

Counsel Serina Bailey acknowledged that Leatigaga faced "serious consequences" for his offending and asked for a psychiatric report before sentencing. Judge Bisphan remanded Leatigaga in custody until June 16. He ordered victim impact reports, an emotional harm report and a psychiatric report. On the five charges to which Leatigaga did not plead, he was remanded until May 8.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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