Offenders will be punished: Judge

This heinous crime of rape is prevalent in Fiji and the offenders must be punished to denounce and to send a clear message to the community that no such actions will be tolerated by the courts.

This statement was made by Judge Justice Aruna Aluthge at the High Court in Suva while sentencing a 43-year-old truck driver to eight years and 10 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of six years.

The truck driver was convicted and sentenced for the offences of rape and sexual assault.

The truck driver, who was the supervisor of the complainant at a security company, performed the sexual acts on the victim.

The court heard that the victim was a security guard at the same company as the man.

Justice Aluthge said as a supervisor, you were in a position of authority vis-à-vis the victim.

The court heard that on March 22, 2019, at Suva, the victim was assigned to a four storied fashion shop as a stand by lone security guard for a night shift.

The victim was new to the job and the man came to know that the victim was assigned alone to the building. He returned alone for a second visit at 2am and found that the victim sleeping and the main gate not properly locked.

The man then told the victim to go and check around the building. He also went with her by lift to check all the four levels.

In the lift, the man started touching her breast on top of her company shirt.

The victim was shocked and told him not to do it.

The man then told the victim to go and check one Chinese shop in the building. When she returned, the man pushed the victim to the passage towards the toilet and seized her. She told him not to do it because he was a married man. The man pulled her into the toilet and made her lie down forcefully.

He forced her to remove her clothes and the victim was scared and was in a state of shock.

She tried to escape but he was holding her tightly.

Justice Aluthge said rape was a serious crime and by prescribing life imprisonment for the offence, the law makers expected the court to impose harsher punishment on rape offenders.

“Not only must the offender, but potential offenders be deterred.

“The offender must be severely punished to ensure safety and security of all women.

“You exploited her vulnerability to satisfy your lustful demands,” Justice Aluthge told the man.

The victim had to leave her job as a result.

The man has been given 30 days to appeal to the Court of Appeal.