The High Court in Labasa has sentenced a man to 12 years’ imprisonment for the rape and assault of a 21-year-old woman in Savusavu town, with Justice Lee Burney stressing the need to denounce sexual violence and protect vulnerable women.
He was convicted after trial on November 28, 2025, of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and rape. Sentencing was delivered on January 8, 2026.
The Court heard that at around 3am on June 2, 2023, the victim was waiting in Savusavu to catch a bus connecting to the Taveuni ferry.
While relieving herself in a dark area near the taxi stand, she was confronted by the accused, who questioned her, accused her of lying, and punched her in the face, knocking her unconscious.
As she regained consciousness, the offender raped her.
“You attacked and raped a vulnerable young woman in a public place in the dead of night,” Justice Burney said, adding that the violence and threats would have made the ordeal “particularly traumatic” for the victim.
“My principal focus is to ensure that the sentence adequately signifies that the Court and the community denounces sexual offending and deters those who may prey on vulnerable women,” Justice Burney said.
Taking seven years as a starting point, the Court increased the sentence to 12 years due to multiple aggravating factors.
A non-parole period of seven years and nine months was imposed after accounting for time already spent in custody.
