A father of two, found guilty of raping a girl with a disability, is set to 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 home but instead drove her to a hotel in Votualevu after threatening her. After the assault, he left the victim at Namaka.
The victim’s impact statement reflected the deep emotional scars left by the crime, expressing feelings of shame, humiliation, and stress. Justice Sharma emphasized the serious psychological effects of rape, stating, “Rape not only affects the integrity of a victim but violates human dignity, leaving lifelong scars that bring about a sense of self-blame and hopelessness which does not heal easily even after physical injuries have healed.”
He concluded that it is necessary for the offender to be removed from society for an extended period.