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