A 49-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 years and 11 months’ imprisonment for one count of rape.
He was 46 years old when he raped a seven-year-old child at Cunningham sometime between the 1st of January and the 31st of December in 2021.
In the Victim Impact Statement, the complainant states that the incident severely affected her and that she now fears for her safety whenever she walks out in public.
She noted that she considered the accused like her own father, as his son is her friend and he was close friends with her father and described his actions as disgusting.
She says that she remains afraid of him.
While delivering the sentence, Suva High Court Judge, Justice Usaia Ratuvili says the offending was opportunistic rather than premeditated, but described the actions as serious and predatory.
Justice Ratuvili also ordered that the offender serve a non-parole period of 11 years before becoming eligible to apply for early release.
