A father of two who was convicted of raping a girl with a disability will serve eight years of his nine-year prison sentence before being eligible for parole. This decision was made by Justice Sunil Sharma during a ruling at the High Court in Lautoka earlier this month.
Court documents reveal that the 47-year-old taxi driver offered the victim a ride under the false promise of taking her home. Instead of following through, he threatened her and took her to a hotel in Votualevu where he committed the assault. Following the incident, he dropped the victim off in Namaka and left her there.
In her impact statement, the victim expressed feelings of shame, humiliation, and stress due to the perpetrator’s actions. Justice Sharma highlighted the profound effects of rape, emphasizing that it damages not only the victim’s integrity but also their human dignity. He noted that the psychological scars can linger long after physical injuries have healed, leading to feelings of self-blame and hopelessness.
Justice Sharma concluded that it is essential for the offender to be removed from society for a significant duration.