Landlord jailed 12 years for raping teenage girl

The judge says the courts have also emphasised that the increasing prevalence of such offending in the community calls for deterrent sentences.

Aman, who raped his tenant’s 15-yearold sister, was jailed for 12 years by the High Court in Suva yesterday. The 49-year-old man, who is a father to eight children, was strongly reprimanded by Justice Aruna Aluthge. He was charged with rape and sexual assault.

Justice Aluthge said the courts in Fiji, at all levels, have repeatedly pronounced that child rapists must severely be dealt with. “The children are a vulnerable segment of our society. The United Nations Convention on Rights of the Child and the Constitution require the courts to protect children,” Justice Aluthge said.

“The children are entitled to live their lives free from any form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Offenders should expect condign punishment to mark the society’s outrage and denunciation against sexual abuse of children,” the judge said.

The courts have also emphasised that the increasing prevalence of such offending in the community calls for deterrent sentences.

The case

The accused was the landlord of the victim, and her older sister.

The victim was 15 years of age at the time of the offence. She is now 17-years-old.

The court heard that the victim came from a broken family and was brought up by her aunt. After moving from one friend to another, she finally decided to stay with her sister in a room which her sister had just rented out from the offender’s house.

One day when her sister went for her night shift, the accused entered her room and raped her.

Sentencing remarks

Justice Aluthge said the maximum penalty for rape was imprisonment for life, and the sentencing tariff for child rape had been increased by the Supreme Court.

The tariff ranges from 11 years to 20 years imprisonment.

He told the offender that the victim and her sister trusted him as an elderly landlord, however, he breached that trust.

“You knew that the victim was alone in the room when you committed these offences. You exploited her vulnerability. You were a fatherly figure to the victim.

“You have committed serious offences. The harm caused to the victim is irreparable,” Justice told him.

The offender may be eligible to apply for parole after serving nine years imprisonment.