A former police officer has been sentenced to 14 years and nine months in prison for sexually violating his cousin over three years.
The 44-year-old married father-of- three was sentenced by Justice Dane Tuiqereqere in the High Court in Suva today on three counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault.
The offending occurred between 2019 and 2021 when the victim was 13 years old.
In sentencing the man, Justice Tuiqereqere said he had taken advantage of the victim and sexually exploited her.
The defence had asked the court to balance justice with mercy.
However, the court noted the breach of trust, the 24-year age gap between the offender and victim and other aggravating factors.
Justice Tuiqereqere said the victim had suffered considerably as a result of the offending, including anxiety, loss of trust and ongoing psychological harm.
The judge said there was no doubt the psychological damage caused by the offending had a lasting impact on the victim’s life.
The man will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years and nine months of his head sentence.
The man was represented by Lawyer Joji Cakau, while the State was represented by Katarina Dugan.
