A man convicted of raping his 11-year-old niece had exposed her young mind to sexual activity at an age when she was supposed to be enjoying her childhood.
Lawyer Katarina Dugan submitted this during the sentencing hearing last Friday before High Court judge Justice Siainiu Fa’alogo Bull.
The 36-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault earlier this year.
He was convicted on March 27 on a count of rape.
The incident occurred between December 1 and July 31, 2022, and as a result, the victim suffered emotional and psychological effects as per the victim’s impact statement.
Meanwhile, the defence has asked the court to consider his early guilty plea for saving the court’s time.
The defence submitted that the accused, a first offender, was remorseful for his actions.
The accused, since his arrest on August 3, 2023, has been remanded for one-year and seven months.
Justice Bull will sentence the convicted rapist this afternoon.
