Farmer jailed for rape of stepdaughter

There has been an increase in sexual offences involving offenders who are known to the victim and are mature adults.

It is shocking to note the manner in which the perpetrators carry out these offences on the victim in this case.

These were the words of High Court Judge Justice Sunil Sharma while sentencing a farmer, 46, for representative counts of rape, sexual and indecent assault charges.

The victim was between six to 10 years of age and a Class Four student in 2022 when the matter came to light. The offender was in a de facto relationship with the victim’s mother and they were living together in Lautoka.

The first incident took place when the victim had started kindergarten education in 2018 and the offences continued for four years.

The offences took place between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2022 at Lautoka.

The matter came to light in August, 2022 when the victim told her friend about what the accused had been doing to her.

Justice Sharma said the offender grossly breached the trust of the victim and he robbed her of her innocence by exposing her to such unexpected sexual encounters. He added the victim was alone, vulnerable, naive and helpless. “The victim was unsuspecting and vulnerable. You cannot be forgiven for what you have done.”

Justice Sharma said rape of a child was one of the most serious forms of sexual violence and offenders should be dealt with severely.

The offender was handed 18 years four months and 16 days imprisonment term with a nonparole period of 16 years.