A 44-year-old subsistence farmer has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for the sexual assault and rape of his teenage daughter.
During the High Court proceedings in Suva, it was revealed that the complainant is the eldest daughter of the accused, who lived with her father, mother, and five siblings.
The abuse began in December 2017 when the victim was approximately 15 years old and was home alone with her father. In early 2018, when the victim was about 16, she awoke to find her father touching her inappropriately. She reacted by kicking him away.
One morning, after being assaulted, her mother inquired if the father had harmed her. The victim disclosed the ongoing abuse, leading her mother to break down in tears. The mother confronted the accused and also informed his mother about the situation. The accused’s mother spoke with both the victim and her mother, resulting in the accused apologizing and promising to cease the abuse.
Although the assaults stopped for a while, they resumed in 2020, continuing on multiple occasions, with some instances involving digital rape.
On February 13, 2021, a medical examination revealed that the victim’s hymen was not intact, indicating that the genital injury was caused by blunt force trauma, such as a finger.
Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu condemned the accused’s actions, describing them as “an incestuous and heinous rape and blatant betrayal of trust.” He emphasized that the victim was assaulted in her own home, a place where children are meant to feel safe and nurtured by their parents or guardians.
Justice Bulamainaivalu noted that the abuse was not an isolated incident but rather part of a series of sexual assaults. He pointed out that despite the accused’s apologies to his daughter, wife, and mother, he continued his abusive behavior, indicating a lack of genuine remorse.