Woman Finally Gets Justice After 27 Years

After 27 years, a 44-year-old woman was finally served with justice when her stepfather and predator was sent to jail for raping her for a period of seven years.
The 63-year-old offender has been jailed for 14 years with a non-parole period of nine years.
Between January 1, 1987 and January 28, 1994, the offender raped his stepdaughter at least three times a week.
The rapist continued to commit the offence until January 28 in 1994, the day the victim gave birth to her eldest child, who was fathered by her stepfather.
The victim was 13 years old when her stepfather started to prey on her until she was 18 years old.
While sentencing the stepfather, Justice Riyaz Hamza told him: “You perpetrated these offences on the victim in the family home, where she should have felt safe.
“You exposed the innocent mind of a child to sexual activity at such a tender age, and thereby robbed the victim of her innocence.
“You were the stepfather of the victim. Being so, you should have protected her. Instead you have breached the trust expected from you and the breach was gross.”
The court heard that the impact of the crime on the victim was extremely traumatic.
She was emotionally and psychologically traumatised by her stepfather’s actions.
Noting the offender was in custody for a period of 12 months, Justice Hamza ordered that the 12 months period was to be regarded as a period of imprisonment already served by the offender.
The remaining period left for the rapist to serve is 13 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of eight years.
Feedback: ashna.kumar@fijisun.com.fj