KEY POINTS:
A member of the Fijian netball team was raped in her apartment after a post-tour party following the squad's return home from the World Cup.
The player was raped by a man who went into her apartment villa in Pacific Harbour while she was asleep after the party on Monday night, which three other team members also attended.
A police spokesman said the player needed hospital treatment after the ordeal. The offender was also injured during the attack as the player apparently tried to defend herself.
It is understood that the player, with three teammates, was part of a drinking party at a villa belonging to the parents of one of the players.
On their arrival home from New Zealand on Monday morning all players went to Suva before dispersing to their homes.
The four then went to a party.
The suspect is understood to have been invited by one of the players to join them.
Later on when the victim was asleep, he is alleged to have gone into her room and attacked her.
Navua police were told of the attack on Tuesday morning and a suspect aged in his early 20s was found and taken in for questioning later that day.
The spokesman said police were speaking to the director of public prosecutions to decide if charges would be laid. The suspect had been released on bail and was expected to appear in court in Navua next month.
International Netball Federation vice-president Kereyn Smith yesterday expressed her sympathy for the Fijian team.
"It just seems that they've had a terrible time," she said. "It would seem that they've had - particularly since the coup - just a whole string of events that have been very difficult for them and I can't help but feel for the Fiji netball community."
The World Championships were to have been held in Fiji, but were shifted to New Zealand after the military coup.
Since then, a player has been prevented from coming into New Zealand because her husband is in Fiji's military, the team was forced out of the competition before the quarter-finals, and returned home without Netball Fiji president Alice Tabete, who is facing allegations of corruption.
In a further blow, the father of former Silver Fern Vilimaina Davu, who is now Fiji's coach, collapsed as the team arrived home at Nadi International Airport and died this week.
Tabete's Auckland lawyer, Frances Joychild, says all allegations of corruption against her client are "absolute fabrication" and is looking at suing those responsible for defamation.
She said Tabete had not returned with the team this week because she had plans to stay in New Zealand until after Christmas visiting family.
