A 28-year-old man from 'Utulei in Vava'u who pleaded not guilty to three charges of rape, housebreaking and assault appeared at the Vava'u Supreme Court for trial by jury on May 3 presided over by Justice Robert Shuster.

'Uluakisa Na'a has pleaded not guilty to all three charges.

The Crown Prosecution represented by Semisi Lutui is alleging that the defendant committed the crimes in January 2010 in Neiafu, against the victim, a woman who is a French national.

The Crown is expected to call 10 witnesses during the one-week trial.

Second trial

A second rape trial is also set to start next week before Justice Shuster. The victim is a Tongan woman at Neiafu.

Justice Shuster, his court staff and the Crown prosecutor are in Vava'u for over two weeks for the two trials, before returning to Nuku'alofa at the end of the month.

In April, Justice Shuster sentenced a stepfather to seven years imprisonment at the Supreme Court in Nuku'alofa, for raping and indecently assaulting his young stepdaughter.