Meatworker Mcquine Fafilamo charged with raping girl in northern NSW

A child was impregnated after a foreign worker allegedly raped her after befriending the complainant on the way to the shops in northern NSW.

Mcquine Fafilamo, who is charged with four counts of sexual assault, applied for bail earlier this month.

A 13-year-old girl was forced to terminate a pregnancy after allegedly being raped by a northern NSW meatworker in Australia on a foreign worker visa.

The disturbing allegations were heard in Lismore Local Court earlier this month when Solomon Islander Mcquine Fafilamo made a bid for bail after being charged with eight offences in April.

The charges, which he is yet to enter a plea to, include four counts of sexually assaulting a child, three counts of sexually touching a child and hindering or resisting police.

The court heard the alleged offending committed by Fafilamo, 28, occurred when the accused was about a year into a two-year working visa where he was employed by the Casino Meatworks.

The Director of Public Prosecutions solicitor told the court Fafilamo was a stranger to the complainant who he allegedly approached when she was riding her bike to the shops.

The court heard Fafilamo allegedly engaged in unprotected sex with the minor despite her telling him to stop.

Fafilamo was reported to police by the girl’s mother with the court hearing after he was arrested he allegedly said he was “sorry” and he thought the complainant was 15.

The allegations were heard in Lismore Local Court.

The DPP solicitor submitted Fafilamo’s DNA was allegedly located on the complainant who as a result fell pregnant and required an abortion.

Fafilamo’s lawyer Philip Crick sought bail for his client citing a “real issue” in gaining legal instructions from the accused given his limited English.

“It is impossible to find an interpreter,” Mr Crick said, adding Fafilamo spoke Pijin.

“We have had stilted conversations, but I have not been able to give legal advice properly.”

Mr Crick told the court Fafilamo had been assaulted in custody and was “scared” and “doesn’t know what is going on”.

The lawyer also told the court the accused was yet to tell his family in the Solomon Islands about his predicament despite being in custody for four months.

Mcquine Fafilamo was employed at the Casino Meatworks on a foreign worker visa.

The DPP solicitor opposed bail citing the “strong” case against Fafilamo, “concerns of more offending” and the risk of the accused fleeing the country with the threat of full-time custody hanging over his head.

Magistrate Michael Dakin said he was “sympathetic to Mr Fafilamo’s plight” regarding the language barrier and signalled flight risk could be mitigated by confiscating his passport.

However, Mr Dakin said the risk of further offending was too great given how “serious” and “opportunistic” the current allegations were.

Mr Dakin denied bail with the matter to return to court in September.

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