Assessors find granduncle guilty of raping grandnephew

Justice Hamza is expected to deliver his judgment of the case tomorrow

A65-year-old Nasinu man was found guilty by three High Court trial assessors in Suva yesterday for raping his six year-old grandnephew. The alleged incident happened on December 20 last year. The Court heard that on the day of the alleged incident the boy’s mother told him to go and fetch water for the rice. The accused was bathing where the boy went to fetch water. He told the boy to take the water to his mother and return to him, which the boy did.

Then the accused pulled down his pants and forced the boy to perform oral sex on him.

The boy relayed everything to his mother and aunt. His mother reported the matter to the Police the next day.

The boy’s aunt who was also an eye witness to the alleged incident gave evidence in Court on what she allegedly saw that day.

In his summing up, Judge Justice RiyazHamza told the assessors to decide first which evidence they should accept as truthful, credible and reliable.

Justice Hamza told them to consider the whole body of evidence when they retire to deliberate on their verdict.

He said the evidence before the court was the complainant’s version of events, the exhibits tendered in Court and any admission made by way of admitted facts.

They were also told to exclude any information they heard outside of the Court room and not to accept it as evidence. Justice Hamza is expected to deliver his judgment of the case tomorrow.