A father of two, convicted of raping a girl with a disability, will serve eight years of his nine-year prison sentence before he can apply for parole. Justice Sunil Sharma announced this decision earlier this month at the High Court in Lautoka.
Court documents reveal that the 47-year-old taxi driver had lured the victim into his car under the guise of giving her a ride home. Instead of taking her to her destination, he threatened her and drove to a hotel in Votualevu. After committing the crime, he left the victim in Namaka and drove away.
In her impact statement, the victim expressed feelings of shame, humiliation, and stress resulting from the assault. Justice Sharma remarked that rape not only harms the victim’s integrity but also violates their human dignity, inflicting lasting psychological damage that often leads to feelings of self-blame and hopelessness long after physical wounds have healed. The judge concluded that it was essential for the offender to be separated from society for a significant period.