Man jailed for raping young girl

A Canterbury man has been jailed for 12 years with a minimum of six years imprisonment for raping and sexually assaulting a girl.

David Neil Lewis, 64, was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court yesterday on charges of rape, sexual violation and an indecent act.

The dates and locations of the offending have been suppressed by the court, as has the age of the victim.

After the offending came to light, Lewis admitted to police what he had done, but could offer no explanation for why he did it.

The victim of the offending was present in court and read a victim impact statement.

She said she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety due to what happened. She also had trouble trusting people, especially men, and sometimes experiences flashbacks to the traumatic events.

She broke down in tears and had to leave the court when details of the offending were outlined.

In delivering his sentence, Judge Mark Callaghan said although Lewis pleaded guilty and wrote a letter expressing his remorse, the seriousness of the offending could not be overlooked.

He also rejected the defence’s submissions that credit should be given to Lewis for previous good character and said his actions caused significant harm to the victim.

‘‘She was younger, smaller and weaker than you are and you were able to exploit her,’’ he said.

Judge Callaghan emphasised a minimum period of imprisonment was necessary to hold Lewis accountable for his actions and the harm he caused.

Judge Callaghan also took time to thank the victim for reading her victim impact statement in court.

‘‘No matter what I do today, it is not going to put you back in a situation where you would have been had this offending not occurred.

‘‘I want to thank you for your bravery in coming forward and reading your victim impact statement, it could not have been an easy thing for you to do.

‘‘I wish you well. I hope you get all the assistance you need,’’ the judge said.