A man who raped his sister-in-law was told by a High Court Judge that “he could not be forgiven for what he did”.

Justice Sunil Sharma, while sentencing the 32-year-old accused to 11 years in prison on Tuesday, said his actions could best be described as “…selfish and lustful”.

The accused was found guilty and convicted by the High Court in Lautoka for raping his sister-in-law.

No regard for safety

As for his sexual gratification, Justice Sharma told the accused that he had no regard for the safety, pain and suffering of the complainant.

“You have committed a serious offence against the victim who was your sister-in-law. I am sure it will be difficult for her to forget what you had done to her. You have not only brought shame to yourself, but also to your family,” the judge said.

He also told the accused that the victim was constantly in fear of her life, having flashbacks of what he did to her.

“Rape not only affects the physical integrity of the victim, but violates the human dignity, leaving life-long scars of psychological devastation bringing about a sense of self blame and hopelessness which does not heal easily even long after the physical injuries have healed,” Justice Sharma said.

The accused will be eligible for parole after serving 10 years of his prison term.

The court heard that the accused had forcefully entered the home of the victim in March 2016 in Nadi, grabbed her right hand and neck, and was asking her why she didn’t open the door.

The court heard that the accused dragged the victim inside her bedroom, pushed her on the bed, pulled her left hand to the side, slapped her in the right cheek and had sexual intercourse with her.

The court also heard that the man punched the complainant on the head and she began to vomit blood.

The aggravating factors were that the man breached the trust of the complainant and he knew the victim was alone in the house when he raped her in a place where she is supposed to be safe.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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