The High Court has sentenced a 14-year-old boy for the rape of his younger sister.
The juvenile was sentenced on February 27 and faced two counts of rape.
The court heard that on March 21, 2025, the then-13-year-old boy sexually violated his 12-year-old biological sister inside their family home.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Daniel Goundar described the acts as a “deliberate sexual violation” committed in a space where the victim was entitled to feel safest.
Impact statements revealed the young girl continues to suffer from enduring psychological trauma that has fundamentally altered her daily life.
While the maximum penalty for rape under the Crimes Act 2009 is life imprisonment, the legal framework for juveniles prioritizes reform over retribution.
Section 30 of the Juveniles Act mandates that imprisonment remains an absolute last resort, reserved only for those deemed “unruly or depraved.”
The court noted that YS, a first-time offender currently enrolled in at Pacific Polytech, had shown a cooperative attitude during his 11 months at the Fiji Juvenile Rehabilitation and Development Centre.
Welfare officers assessed him as having high potential for behavioral change through structured supervision and counseling.
However, a return to the family home was deemed inappropriate due to the gravity of the breach of trust and the lack of a stable guardian to oversee his reintegration.
The court ruled:
-One year jail term suspended for a period of 3 years.
-Subject to a community-based corrections order for a period of 3 years.
– To be placed in a supervised residential or approved care facility or remain under structured supervision.
-Continue attendance at the Pacific Polytech course.
-Attend and participate in one-to-one counselling with Empower Pacific
-Not to have any contact, direct or indirect, with the complainant.
