A 19-year-old who was found guilty of breaking into a home and stealing valuables has been sentenced to two years of probation with mandatory counselling from the Social Welfare Department. The young man is exempt from jail time as long as he does not commit any further offenses over the next seven years. The judge, Justice Riyaz Hamza, mandated that the counselling sessions involve his mother to assist in improving their relationship.
During the court proceedings in Lautoka, Justice Hamza emphasized the importance of the mother participating in the counselling and enhancing her parenting skills. He reminded her of her responsibility to ensure her son complies with the Social Welfare Department’s recommendations.
The charges stemmed from an incident last year when the young man, along with accomplices, entered a house in Korovutu, Ba, by removing louvre blades from a kitchen window while the homeowner was away in Labasa. Justice Hamza assessed that the level of harm caused was relatively low, given the minor value of the stolen items and the absence of physical or psychological harm to the victim.
During his hearing, it was noted that the defendant is now involved in farming and acknowledged that peer pressure and poor judgment led him to commit the crime. The judge expressed confidence in the young man’s ability to rehabilitate and decided to suspend his punishment for seven years to serve as a deterrent for both him and the community against similar offenses.