UPDATED: A Tongan mother and her daughter who died in an alleged murder in Fiji have been laid to rest together at Viseisei in Lautoka today.
Sisi Taufa Patolo, 33, and her seven-month- old daughter Sarah Patolo died after they were fatally stabbed last week.
Twin daughters Fisi'ipeau Patolo, 5, Grace Patolo, 5 and Ana Kaitonua Patolo, 3 were also been injured in the vicious attack.
Fisipeau and ‘Ana attended the memorial service and the burial ceremony of their deceased mum and sister while twin sister Grace could not make it as she is still in critical condition in hospital.
About a hundred mourners gathered at a joint funeral for the two, who shared the same coffin and buried together in the family burial grounds of the Sawaieke clan, close to the chiefly burial ground where the past chiefs of the village are buried.
The families and relatives of the accused attended the funeral and asked for forgiveness from the victims' family.
The Tongan pastor and cousin of the deceased, Paea-i-Fulton Taufatofua who conducted the prayer service for the funeral told the accused's family they have forgiven them.
‘Eleni Tevi Tongan community leader in Fiji said the Tongan community and the Tonga High School alumnus were represented in the funeral.
Taufa Patolo was an ex-student of Tonga High School 1993 – 1998.
Twenty-two-year old Priya Darshani, has been charged with two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder after the Wednesday brutal attack.
Darshani was brought to the family to look after the children while the mother, Taufa Patolo worked at night. She was later on had a son with Taufa Patolo's husband, Moeki Patolo, but still they lived together with Darshani.
Repeated domestic disputes between the deceased mother and the accused because of their relationship with Mr Patolo were alleged to have been the motive behind the fatal attack.
