It is mitigation time for All Nations Church leader, Reverend Epeli Ratabacaca later this morning as he has been found guilty of one count of sexual assault by Justice Paul Madigan.
The maximum sentence for sexual assault is 10 years imprisonment.
Reverend Ratabacaca has been acquitted of the two counts of rape.
Two of the three assessors found Ratabacaca guilty of sexual assault while they found him not guilty of rape.
One assessor found him not guilty for all three counts.
Meanwhile, Justice Madigan told the assessors in the packed court room before the verdict that they have to go through the evidence where the victim had become mentally ill and went to Saint Giles Hospital.
He said according to the evidence the victim later went to Reverend Ratabacaca.
The judge said that Ratabacaca’s defence is that he was not at the scene of the crime and denied the allegations leveled against him. Justice Madigan said it is up to the assessors to decide whether the incident happened with or without the consent of the victim.
He said the victim claims that she trusted the pastor and did not want to think negative things when the incident happened at the massage parlor.
Justice Madigan then went through the evidence of the former worker at the massage parlor at Sports City. He said the witness identified Ratabacaca as the man who had gone for a steam bath with a woman who had blonde hair.
The witness said Ratabacaca had paid for the steam bath and foot massage.
Justice Madigan said Ratabacaca has admitted that he did pay for the victim’s massage because the Lord told him to do that.
He said Ratabacaca also said that he got a call from Novotel Hotel on the 23rd of June last year while on his way to a funeral in Navua.
Ratabacaca had also said that the woman had booked the room from the money given by him.
He said that he went to her room and she had said that she wants him.
In his evidence, Ratabacaca had said that he would tell her husband.
Mitigation commences at 10am.
Story by: Vijay Narayan & Praneeta Prakash
