Fiji street attack injures Jennifer Rawson [1]
Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 14:21. Updated on Thursday, May 1, 2014 - 21:43.
By Kelly Mills
Fijian police have charged a 20-year-old man over a street attack that left Australia's high commissioner to Fiji with serious facial injuries.
Jennifer Rawson was also the Australian High Commission to Tonga from 1993 to 1995. Jennifer was attacked and robbed during her early-morning run in Suva on Saturday. She is recovering in Sydney's St George Hospital after surgery to reconstruct her jaw.
Fiji deputy director of criminal investigations Bon Sami Chetty said a man was charged on Sunday January 9 with robbery and would appear in Suva Magistrates' Court on January 11.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said the man was a 20-year-old Fijian.
She also said a review of security at the high commission had begun.
Fijian Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase has agreed to consider any security improvements suggested by the Australian government.
A spokeswoman for St George Hospital said on Monday that Ms Rawson, 51, was recovering from surgery on Sunday night. She added the diplomat was "stable and improving" and would not need more surgery.
Ms Rawson suffered serious facial injuries, including a fractured jaw, when she was allegedly bashed and robbed of her CD player during her run.
She was taken to a local hospital by commission staff before being flown to Sydney on Saturday.
Fijian police have set up a 38-member team to investigate the incident, assisted by the Australian Federal Police.
Ms Rawson is a career diplomat who joined DFAT in 1976. She has worked in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe and was high commissioner to Tonga from 1993 to 1995. - The Australian