THE High Court in Suva has found a 22-year-old man guilty of multiple sexual offences committed against his first cousin over three years.
The man was convicted of two counts of rape, and one count each of indecent assault, sexual assault, and attempted rape.
The victim was 14 years old when the abuse began in 2021 at a shared settlement.
On a night in 2021 the man indecently assaulted the victim while she was asleep in the living room with others. He went on to rape her on multiple occasions throughout 2023 and again in January 2024.
The final assault took place on the night of July 30, 2024. The victim was studying at home when he broke in by removing a glass louvre blade from a window. He dragged her into a bedroom, bit her neck, and attempted to rape her. The attack was interrupted when his mother called out for him from outside.
In his defence, the man claimed he believed they were considered “husband and wife” under Fijian custom because they were first cousins. He admitted knowing the victim did not want to have sex but claimed he proceeded anyway because of his “deep love” for her.
Justice Thushara Rajasinghe rejected the defence, stating that the victim’s lack of physical resistance at times did not equate to consent.
