BOY, 16, GETS SUSPENDED SENTENCE FOR DEfiLING GIRL

A16-year-old boy was sentenced to six months imprisonment yesterday for defiling a girl under the age of 16-years.

The teenage boy pleaded guilty to the offence and was told that the maximum penalty for defilement was 10 years imprisonment.

His sentence was suspended for two years.

The facts of the case revealed that the victim went to the boy’s house at about 11:30pm on February 13 last year and had dinner with him after which the couple had consensual sexual intercourse on three occasions on the same day.

Upon hearing about it, the victim’s father reported the matter to the Police and the boy was arrested and interviewed under caution whereby he admitted committing the offence. The incident happened in a settlement in Lau.

While sentencing the boy, the Magistrate’s Court noted that there were no aggravating factors as the victim and the accused had known each other for some time and they were in an intimate relationship.

The court also highlighted that it was pertinent to note that the victim went to the boy’s house by herself at about 11:30pm.

There was no considerable age difference found between them. The court concluded from the circumstances of offending and the boy’s young age along with his previous good character that these were compelling reasons to suspend his sentence and give him an opportunity to rehabilitate himself.