While sentencing the man, Suva High Court Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe said that a young girl was repeatedly sexually exploited in her own home.
The man was 17-years-old and the complainant was 14-year-old when the assault began in 2021.
He claimed that he believed they were considered “husband and wife” under the Fijian custom due to their first-cousin relationship.
Justice Rajasinghe says deterrence is the objective of this sentencing as significant harm was caused.
He says the man breached the trust and exploited his cousin to satisfy his sexual advance.
A permanent DVRO has been set against him.
On the first occasion in 2021, the man indecently assaulted the girl while she was sleeping in the living room with others.
Following that incident, he continued to rape her during multiple occasions in 2023 and 2024.
In July 2024, the man broke into the house by removing the glass louvre blade and entering the girl’s house while she was studying.
The man attempted to rape her but the attack was interrupted when his mother called his name from the outside.
He was confronted by his mother regarding their relationship who then disclosed all the incidents to her.
The man’s mother advised the girl not to say anything to anyone until she spoke to her father the next morning.
The girl, frustrated and angered by the his mother’s response, ran to her friend’s house and disclosed what had occurred.
In her testimony, she explained that she did not report the incident earlier due to the close relationship between their families and her fear of the possible consequences of doing so.
In defence, the man acknowledged that the girl did not consent to sex, but he proceeded anyway because of his deep love for her.
The court found the man guilty of two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape and convicted him accordingly.
A non-parole period of 7 years and 10 months has been set.
