A father of two has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping a 15-year-old girl twice in a single afternoon in Labasa.
The court heard that in September 2023, the man offered the girl a ride home from school. Instead of taking her straight home, he drove to a secluded cane farm, locked the doors, and raped her. He then drove to another location where he raped her again before dropping her off at home.
He later threatened to harm the girl’s father if she told anyone about the incident.
In sentencing the man, High Court Judge Justice Barney highlighted the age gap between the offender and the victim, the breach of trust, and the threats made against the victim’s family. The judge also considered mitigating factors, including that he was a first-time offender. However, Justice Barney noted that these did not outweigh the gravity of the crime.
The offender told the court he had suffered socially as a result of the charges, facing ridicule from family and friends. He claimed that the accusations had brought shame upon him and disrepute within his community.
Justice Barney dismissed these concerns, stating that community condemnation was a natural consequence of such offences.
“Your feelings of having suffered social stigma do not reduce the seriousness of the offending,” the judge said.
“I would encourage you to reflect at length on the inevitable harm that your offending has caused to the complainant, and to engage with any intervention programmes that may be available to you during your period of incarceration.”
The man must serve nine years and 11 months before he can be considered for parole.
