Baby Thief Convicted, Sentenced To One Year 10 months Imprisonment Suspended For Two Years

A woman who stole a baby from the La­basa Hospital was handed a suspended sentence by the Magistrates Court in a landmark ruling.

Asena Raivoli, 35, was convicted and charged with stealing a baby. She was sentenced on November 1, 2019, to one year and 10 months im­prisonment which was suspended for two years by Magistrate Cama Tuberi.

On April 15, 2018, by force or fraud, Raivoli took away a child under the age of 14 years from the mother at the children’s ward at the hospital.

Magistrate Tuberi said the ag­gravating factors were that the child involved was a newborn baby which Raivoli left at a cassava patch when she realised that the Police were coming after her.

He said she subjected the child to hunger and serious health risk dur­ing the number of hours she took the child away from his mother.

“Since you have regretted your action and learnt a lesson from this case. I will give you another chance to rehabilitate yourself,” Magistrate Tuberi said.

Magistrate Tuberi said the prescribed pen­alty for the offence was seven years impris­onment.

“I am not aware of any tariff set for this offence,” Magistrate Tuberi said.

“The counsel for the defence was not able to draw the court attention to any case au­thority in our jurisdiction or any tariff at all.”

Magistrate Tuberi said the court had to draw guidance from a Papua New Guinea case to sentence Raivoli because there were none present in Fiji’s jurisdiction.

Raivoli was given 28 days to appeal to the High Court.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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