A 44-year-old subsistence farmer has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for the sexual assault and rape of his biological teenage daughter.
During the High Court proceedings in Suva, it was disclosed that the victim is the eldest daughter of the accused and lived with him, her mother, and five siblings.
The abuse began in December 2017 when the victim was approximately 15 years old and was alone at home with her father. In early 2018, when she was around 16, she awoke to find her father touching her inappropriately and responded by kicking him away.
One morning, after experiencing sexual assault from her father, the victim’s mother inquired if anything had happened. When the victim disclosed the ongoing abuse, her mother broke down in tears. The mother confronted the accused, and the issue was also communicated to the accused’s mother. The accused apologized and assured he would cease the abuse, leading to a temporary halt in the assaults. However, the abuse resumed in 2020.
The sexual assaults persisted on multiple occasions throughout 2020, with the victim enduring instances of digital rape. A medical examination on February 13, 2021, revealed that the victim’s hymen was not intact and indicated that her injuries were likely caused by blunt force trauma, such as a finger.
Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu condemned the accused’s actions as “an incestuous and heinous rape and blatant betrayal of trust.” He emphasized that the assaults occurred in a home environment where children should feel safe and nurtured by their parents or guardians, free from any form of abuse.
The judge noted that the rape was not an isolated incident but rather followed a series of sexual assaults. He remarked that despite the accused’s apologies to his daughter and family, he continued to perpetrate the abuse, demonstrating a lack of remorse and sincerity.