Fiji Sun

Man who hit disabled grandchild to stop him from crying is jailed to four months

- ASHNA KUMAR Edited by Ranoba Baoa

A64-year-old grandfathe­r who is convicted for hitting his fouryear-old grandson with disability using a belt, has been jailed to four months imprisonme­nt.

The offender was charged and convicted for one count of common assault. He had pleaded guilty and admitted the summary of facts presented by the prosecutio­n.

The offender assaulted his grandson with a belt.

In his caution interview, the offender admitted hitting him and said he did so to stop his grandson from crying.

The summary of facts showed that the grandson is blind and the offender used the belt and hit him multiple times. The offender in his caution interview also submitted that he did not know it was a wrong thing and was not aware the law had changed.

Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne said the Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (“CRC”) provided for the State parties to take all appropriat­e measures to protect the children from violence whilst in care of parents or guardians.

“The Government of Fiji has ratified the CRC in 1993 and included this in the basic law in this country which is the 2013 Constituti­on,” he said.

For the safety of the victim, Magistrate Somaratne also issued a permanent domestic violence restrainin­g order with standard non molestatio­n conditions.

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