A man convicted of indecently assaulting a girl who regarded him as her grandfather, has been sentenced to three years and five months with a non-parole period of 25 months.
He was found guilty and convicted of three counts of indecent assault and a count of breach of bail conditions committed on June 13, 2022.
On that day, the victim was at home with the accused and another person, working on repairing the stove exhaust while she stayed in her room.
She was called to help shine the torch while the accused held the exhaust in place. The other man, unable to remove one of the screws, stepped outside.
While in the kitchen, the accused let go of the exhaust and approached the victim to indecently assault her, prompting her to push him away and telling him to stop.
Despite her protests, the man approached her again and indecently assaulted her while commenting on her figure.
Overwhelmed with embarrassment, surprise, shock, and panic, the victim retreated to her room, locked the door, and called her father, informing him that the man was not a good person.
She then asked her father to come home immediately.
Magistrate Namrata Mishra, who presided over the case in the Ba Magistrate’s Court on September 5, stated that the man’s actions have caused significant trauma to the victim, who is left with a feeling of guilt and shame as a result of his actions.
As a result, the victim is not able to form relationships.
