The Supreme Court has determined that there was no error in principle or law regarding the 16-year sentence imposed on a man convicted of five counts of rape against two of his biological granddaughters. The victims were 15 and 13 years old, and their mothers were his daughters.
In his ruling on August 29, Justice Anthony Gates emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting that the man raped both granddaughters over a span of 13 months. He expressed that the defendant made threats to kill them with a cane knife and, in one incident, used a kitchen knife, tying up one of the young girls by her hands and ankles and covering her mouth with a cloth.
Justice Gates characterized the acts as a severe violation of the girls’ safety in a village environment, stressing the long-lasting impact of such trauma. While acknowledging that appropriate discounts in sentencing had been applied, he asserted that a strong condemnation of the actions was inevitable.
The judge upheld the High Court’s original sentence.