Rapist loses appeal
The Court of Appeal has turned down an application against conviction from a man who sexually and indecently assaulted his then 14-year-old stepdaughter in 2020. The man, who was jailed for more than five years for three counts of sexual assault and a count of indecent assault, had challenged his conviction. In 2020, the man unlawfully and indecently assaulted the victim while she was sleeping in the sitting room. On another occasion, while she was looking for her clothes after showering, she was also indecently assaulted by her stepfather. During the same period, the man also procured the victim without her consent to commit an act of gross indecency. During trial, the court heard the victim was scared and did not tell anyone after she left home, unable to live with what her stepfather was doing to her. She did not think her mother would believe her, but her relatives noticed her distress and difficulty in disclosing what he did to her and the reason for leaving home. The man had appealed his conviction on six grounds, which, according to Justice Alipate Qetaki’s ruling on August 26, were found to have “no prospect of success, no merit, and were unarguable”. He said the credibility and truthfulness of the victim’s evidence remained untainted and unaffected.
Police await fatal fire incident report
Police are waiting for a report from the National Fire Authority following the death of a woman in a house fire at Lakena Irrigation Rd, Nausori, last Saturday. The report is expected to confirm the cause of the fire. Police said the victim, in her late 70s, was alone when a fire broke out, believed to have started from the kitchen. “The victim was trapped inside, resulting in the unfortunate incident,” police said. “The victim’s body was lifted from the scene and conveyed to the Mokani Health Centre mortuary. Joint investigations with the National Fire Authority are underway to confirm the cause of the fire.”
High Court convicts man for rape of stepdaughter
A man who raped his then 13-year-old stepdaughter on two occasions despite her protestation has been found guilty by the High Court in Lautoka. Trial records showed that on July 9, 2022, the drunk man argued with the victim’s mother who then left the house with her other children except for the victim who was left behind. At around 2.30pm on that day, the girl was in her bedroom when the man entered and began to touch her inappropriately before having forceful, unconsented sexual intercourse. During the act, her cry for help was futile, and she subsequently lost consciousness. When her mother returned home, the victim immediately told her about what her stepfather had done to her, but she did not believe her. On August 28 of the same year, the girl was preparing to attend church with her mother and siblings, but she had forgotten to complete certain household chores, which angered her mother. As a result, her mother told her to stay at home and finish the tasks. After learning that she was alone, the man grabbed and forcibly dragged her into the bedroom. The girl tried to resist, but was unable to free herself due to his strength so he then proceeded to rape her again. When her mother returned home, she informed her of what the man had done. However, her mother again did not believe her. In his judgment on September 2, Justice Sunil Sharma stated that the man knew or believed the victim was not consenting or didn’t care if she was consenting at the material time. The man will be sentenced on a later date.
