A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to 9 years and 9 months in prison by the High Court in Lautoka for raping a deaf and mute girl. Justice Sunil Sharma, in delivering the sentence, condemned the accused for bringing disgrace to himself and his family, labeling his behavior as “selfish and lustful.”
Justice Sharma expressed that the accused showed a complete disregard for the victim, who is an innocent individual with special needs. He emphasized that the punishment is appropriate to ensure the perpetrator is removed from society for a significant period.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the incident occurred on December 15, 2020, when the accused offered the victim a ride home. Instead of taking her home, he drove to a hotel in Votualevu, booked a room, and forcibly dragged her from the vehicle to the room. Inside the room, he removed her clothes aggressively, overpowered her, and assaulted her with a piece of soap and two cigarette butts. Afterward, he abandoned the victim in Namaka.
The victim reported the assault to the police, who conducted a medical examination, leading to the arrest of the accused. Justice Sharma highlighted several aggravating factors, noting that the accused betrayed the victim’s trust by not delivering her home as promised and instead subjecting her to sexual abuse. He pointed out the premeditated nature of the crime, as the accused exploited the victim’s disabilities to assert control during the incident.
In her victim impact statement, the victim conveyed her fear of the accused, along with feelings of shame, humiliation, and stress resulting from his actions.