A 50-year-old man has been sentenced in absentia to 12 years and 4 months imprisonment by the Suva High Court.
He is charged with one count of rape and one count of sexual assault and had escaped from Suva High Court during the trial.
It was heard in court that he was a family friend of the victim’s family.
The man raped a 15‑year‑old girl in Valelevu on July 24th in 2016. A bench warrant has been issued by Suva High Court Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe for the 50-year-old man.
