Dad Gets 14 Years for Raping Daughter, 5

Judge: Intoxication is not an excuse to sexually abuse a child.

Intoxication is not an excuse to sexually abuse a child, said Judge Justice Daniel Goundar while sentencing a father for raping his 5-year-old daughter. Justice Goundar denounced the conduct of the accused, and imposed the 14-year sentence as a warning to deter others.

Justice Goundar said: “The punishment must reflect the gravity of the offence against a vulnerable child by her own biological father.

“There is no explanation for the conduct of the accused except that he may have been drunk when the incident occurred… the victim was extremely vulnerable due to her tender age. She was sexually abused in her home by her father. “Home is to be a safe haven for children. Parents are guardians of children.”

The incident occurred last year in Lautoka when the victim was left alone with the accused after the wife left the family home following a domestic dispute.

A week later, the victim’s mother returned to retrieve her from their home under Police supervision. The following day, the victim complained to her mother that her genitals were sore.

The court heard that when the mother investigated, the victim said her daddy had touched her genitals. The victim was medically examined and the doctor found a cut on the child’s private part. The injury was healing and a few days old.

The accused, in his defence, denied sexually abusing his daughter.

He has thirty days to appeal his conviction.