A former radiographer at Vunisea Hospital, Kadavu, has been sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment for raping a woman who sought medical help following a traumatic ordeal.
In the High Court in Suva, the man was sentenced yesterday after being found guilty earlier this month of one count of rape under the Crimes Act.
Delivering sentence, Justice Thusara Rajasinghe said rape was “one of the most humiliating and distressing crimes,” adding that it “violates a person’s physical integrity and destroys a person’s personal dignity and self-autonomy.”
The court found that on October 25, 2023, the complainant went to the accused for a medical scan requested by her doctor to determine whether she was pregnant following an earlier incident of sexual assault and abduction.
Instead of carrying out the procedure, the accused sexually assaulted her by penetrating her vagina with his fingers without consent.
The judge said the offence caused significant harm.
“This crime has adversely affected the complainant emotionally and psychologically, shattering her self-confidence,” he said, citing the Victim Impact Report.
Justice Rajasinghe found the accused’s culpability to be high, noting the abuse of professional trust.
“Instead of assisting her in properly carrying out the requested medical procedure, you exploited the opportunity to satisfy your disgraceful sexual desire,” he said.
The court selected a starting point of eight years’ imprisonment, increased it due to aggravating factors—including breach of trust placed in the accused by both the complainant and the health service—and then allowed a limited reduction for age and previous character.
The final head sentence imposed was nine years.
A non-parole period of six years was ordered, with the judge saying this was necessary for deterrence and community protection.
After accounting for time already spent in remand, the actual sentence to be served is eight years and eleven months, with parole eligibility after five years and eleven months.
