22-year-old convicted of raping and sexually abusing first cousin

A 22-year-old man has been found guilty of repeatedly raping and sexually abusing his teenage first cousin over a three-year period.

The accused appeared before Justice Thushara Rajasinghe at the High Court in Suva, where he was convicted of two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of sexual assault, and one count of attempted rape. The court found the complainant's evidence credible and rejected the accused's defence.

The abuse began in 2021 when the accused was 17 years old and the complainant was 14. Both lived in the same settlement and were first cousins.

The court heard that the first incident occurred while the complainant was asleep in a living room with other family members, where the accused indecently assaulted her. He later raped her on several occasions between 2023 and 2024.

In July last year, the accused broke into the complainant's home by removing a glass louvre blade while she was studying inside. He attempted to rape her, but the attack was interrupted when his mother called his name from outside the house.

The complainant later disclosed the abuse to the accused's mother after being questioned about their relationship. The court heard that the accused's mother advised her not to tell anyone until she had spoken to the girl's father the following morning.

During the trial, the complainant said she remained silent for years because the two families were closely related and she feared the consequences of speaking out.

In his defence, the accused claimed he believed they were regarded as "husband and wife" under Fijian custom because they were first cousins.

The accused has been further remanded in custody pending a sentencing hearing next week.

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