The High Court in Suva has sentenced a man to 13 years and 11 months in prison for multiple sexual assault and rape offenses. The defendant appeared before Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu on Wednesday, where he was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and two counts of rape, as defined by the Crimes Act 2009.
The charges stem from incidents that occurred between June and December 2020 in Naikawaga Village, Tailevu, where he unlawfully and indecently assaulted the victim. Additionally, between January and December 2018, he was accused of penetrating the victim without her consent.
The court noted that the accused had voluntarily pleaded guilty to all five counts. Justice Bulamainaivalu indicated that, based on section 18 of the Sentencing and Penalties Act 2009 and the Supreme Court decision in Timo v State, a non-parole period of 12 years was deemed appropriate for the case.
The man has 30 days to file an appeal against the sentence.