A 60-year-old man convicted of raping his daughter-in-law will be required to serve nine years of his 10-year and 11-month prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole. The defendant, who is married with four children, faced charges including rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault against a 24-year-old divorced woman.
Court documents reveal that the victim had reported the sexual offenses to her former husband, but he did not believe her claims. To provide evidence, she secretly recorded the accused committing the acts and later shared the video with her ex-husband.
High Court Judge Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu emphasized the severity of the situation, noting that the complainant was assaulted in a place that should have provided her protection and support. The judge described how the accused exploited the complainant’s vulnerability, committing the act even with his wife and grandson in the house and his son away at work. The complainant faced the challenging reality of living with the accused daily while being disbelieved by her husband.
The victim’s impact statement indicated that the traumatic experiences led to the collapse of her marriage and forced her to take on the sole responsibility of raising her infant son. Justice Bulamainaivalu also imposed a permanent Domestic Violence Restraining Order against the accused.