Fijians convicted of rape in Australia

Johanna Leggatt:

TWO brothers accused of the multiple rape of a young woman at knifepoint have been found guilty in Brisbane of six counts of sexual assault.

Fijian-born Afsheen Kashef Hussein, 26, and Azhar Zuhayr Hussein, 21, each pleaded not guilty in the District Court to eight charges of rape and one of indecent treatment of the 22-year-old woman at Mt Coot-tha in Brisbane.

After almost two days of deliberation, the jury of 10 men and two women found each of the brothers guilty of six counts of rape but not guilty of three charges: two rape counts and the indecent treatment charge.

Prosecutor April Freeman however, submitted that a sentence in the order of 12 years for each of the men was appropriate and Judge Warren Howell adjourned sentencing to a later date.

Judge Howell informed the jury once their verdict had been delivered, that the two brothers have also been charged over a second rape at Mt Coot-tha, this time of a sex worker, in February last year.

They have also pleaded not guilty to the charges but the brothers' co-accused – Brisbane men Zaak Imtiaz Ali, 21, and Zain Iftiaz Ali, 23 – have pleaded guilty. The matter will be heard on May 29.

The Hussein brothers' trial heard that on September 17, 2004, the men picked the woman up from Fortitude Valley and drove her to Mt Coot-tha, where they took turns to repeatedly rape her at knifepoint for about an hour.

She eventually escaped and ran to the nearby security hut of a television station.

The victim broke down a number of times during her evidence, despite a screen being placed between her and the accused men.

At one point one of the rapists started laughing and Judge Howell responded by saying: "If the accused on the left doesn't behave ... I'll take appropriate action".

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