A man was convicted by the High Court in Lautoka last Friday for the rape of a hearing and speech impaired girl in December 2020. He faced four counts of rape for incidents that took place on December 15, 2020, in Nadi and was found guilty on two of those counts.
Court records indicate that the victim was waiting for transportation home when the man approached her in a vehicle and forcibly offered her a ride. He subsequently made sexual advances while threatening her with a rod or stick. The assaults occurred in Wailoaloa and at a hotel in Votualevu. Justice Sunil Sharma noted that the court concluded the accused either knew or believed that the victim was not consenting or disregarded her lack of consent at that time.