The 25-year-old man who allegedly sexually assaulted and unlawfully wounded his 3-year-old stepdaughter, who has special needs, has been remanded in custody.
The accused has been charged with one count of rape and one count of unlawfully wounding a person.
The 25-year-old man appeared before Resident Magistrate Yogesh Prasad in the Navua Magistrates Court today.
Magistrate Prasad has transferred the matter to the Suva High Court for the first call on the 1st of next month.
Police had earlier stated that the incidents allegedly occurred towards the end of 2023 in Navua.
The accused is alleged to have slapped the victim when she refused to eat, burnt her legs with Fijian tobacco and sexually assaulted her.
The matter was reported by a relative when he noticed the bruises and burnt marks, and with the assistance of officers from the Social Welfare Department, the child was removed from the mother’s custody and handed over to the care of a relative.
