Man, 66, jailed for 15 years for raping teenage girl

A66-year-old man who raped a teenage girl several times between 2014 and 2016 was jailed for 15 years and nine months yesterday.

The man was convicted on four counts of rape and sentenced in the Suva High Court.

Justice Vinsent Perera also ruled that the accused is only eligible for parole after serving 12 years and nine months of his sentence. He was represented by Gavin

O’Driscoll.

The incidents happened in 2014 and 2016 in a cassava patch in Ba and a hotel in Nausori.

In passing sentence, Justice Perera said that there was a 50-year age gap between the accused and the complainant, who is now 16-years-old.

She was residing with the accused and his family and was dependent on them for her daily needs.

Justice Perera said the aggravating factors were that there was a breach of trust in the offending, and the accused took advantage of the girl’s vulnerability.

He exploited her because she was helpless.

He said the victim did not have anyone to look after her. Her father was imprisoned and her mother had left her when she was 11-years-old.

The court heard that the accused also insulted the girl and called her a liar. State lawyer Taitusi Tuenuku appeared for the prosecution.