The High Court in Suva has sentenced a man to 13 years and 11 months in prison for multiple charges of sexual assault and rape. The defendant appeared before Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu on Wednesday.
He was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault under section 210 (1) (a) of the Crimes Act 2009, along with two counts of rape as defined by sections 207 (1) and 2 (b) of the same act. The offenses occurred between June and December 2020 in Naikawaga Village, Tailevu, where he unlawfully and indecently assaulted the victim. Additionally, he is accused of penetrating the victim without her consent during the period from January to December 2018, also in Naikawaga Village.
The court noted that the accused voluntarily pleaded guilty to all five charges. Justice Bulamainaivalu determined a non-parole period of 12 years based on the Sentencing and Penalties Act 2009 and relevant Supreme Court precedents. The defendant has 30 days to appeal the sentence.