A 17-YEAR-OLD convicted of raping his then five-year-old cousin has had his two-year jail term suspended for eight years.
Court records show the juvenile rapist raped the child on two occasions between August 1 and September 30 of 2023.
High Court judge Justice Riyaz Hamza, while sentencing the accused, ruled that he had breached the trust of the complainant.
“At the time of the alleged incident, you had come to live with the complainant’s family,” stated Justice Hamza on May 14.
“You have exposed the innocent mind of a child to sexual activity at such a tender age and thereby robbed the complainant of her innocence.”
In terms of the Victim Impact Statement filed in court, it is recorded that the complainant has been emotionally and psychologically traumatised by his actions.
Justice Hamza said the boy was aware his actions had caused irreparable harm to the victim and he sincerely apologised for his actions.
His sentence was suspended due to his high chances of rehabilitation and to deter him and other persons from committing offences of similar nature and to protect the community.
Justice Hamza also placed the accused under probation of the Social Welfare Department for two years.
“The (SWD) is to immediately arrange for counselling to be provided to you in the presence of your father. The Social Welfare Department is to provide all necessary assistance, support and counselling to you and your father.
“It is also the responsibility of your father to ensure that you obey any directions given by the Social Welfare Department.”
