A 47-year-old man has received a sentence of nine years and nine months in prison after being found guilty of two counts of rape by the Lautoka High Court.
The court was informed that on December 15, 2020, the convict had offered the victim, who is deaf and mute and has special needs, a ride in his car under the guise of giving her a lift home. Rather than taking her to her intended destination, the man threatened her and drove to a hotel in Votualevu where he had booked a room.
The accused then forcibly pulled the victim from the vehicle and assaulted her inside the room.
High Court Judge Justice Sunil Sharma stated that the man had violated the trust of the victim by promising to drop her off and that she got into his vehicle based on this trust. He emphasized that the accused not only failed to take her to the appropriate location but exploited the situation by subjecting her to sexual abuse.
Judge Sharma pointed out the premeditated nature of the crime, noting that the accused exploited the vulnerability of the victim being deaf and mute, exerting control during the incident to take advantage of her.
He remarked, “Rape not only affects the integrity of a victim but violates human dignity, leaving lifelong psychological scars that cause self-blame and hopelessness, which often do not heal even after physical injuries have recovered.”
Addressing the severity of the crime, Justice Sharma declared that the court must impose a substantial custodial sentence to deter such offenses, particularly as the victim continues to experience emotional and psychological distress due to the assault.
The convicted man has 30 days to file an appeal against his sentence and conviction.