A married man convicted of raping his 15-year-old niece last year has been jailed for 14 years and nine months.
The High Court has also issued a non-parole period of 13 years and nine months on August 1.
The 34-year-old subsistence farmer raped the victim while she was washing dishes in the kitchen, and home alone with her two-year-old niece, while the adults had gone to work and gardening.
He dragged her into the bathroom, shutting her mouth with his hand before committing the act. Her attempted pleas for the accused to stop were futile.
The matter only came to light when the victim’s father confronted the victim about what the accused did. The matter was subsequently reported to the Nasinu Police Station.
Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu said rape of young girls was becoming prevalent in Fiji, thus a scourge and menace to the entire society, compelling the need for holistic means to properly and effectively deter and prevent such societal bane, and also reflect and uphold the community’s denunciation of such horrid crime.
“This is an incestuous and heinous rape of a vulnerable girl who should be attending school, but instead stays home doing house chores and looking after her niece, and letting the accused into the house with all trust that he will not abuse her, which trust was blatantly and unconscionably violated by the accused, a male adult, deemed and obliged to uphold and enforce good morals and values including protecting and preventing vulnerable young girls like his niece from being raped,” stated Justice Bulamainaivalu.
A permanent Domestic Violence Restraining Order with the standard non-molestation conditions has been issued against the accused.