Child rapist gets 10 years jail term

A 31-year-old Nadi man was sentenced to 10 years, five months and five days imprisonment for raping a five-year-old boy from his settlement.

The offender was sentenced in the High Court in Lautoka after pleading guilty to one count of rape.

The court heard that on October 26, 2024, the child was sexually assaulted after leaving his home.

The offender approached the boy and took him to a dredge site about 100 metres away, where he raped him.

The victim managed to escape and ran home before reporting the incident to family members and his teacher.

Police were later alerted and the offender admitted the offence during an interview.

In sentencing, the court said the victim was particularly vulnerable because of his age and that the offender had breached the trust placed in him as a neighbour.

The court also considered the lasting impact of the crime on the child.

A victim impact statement revealed that the boy now struggles to interact with other children, fears going places alone and becomes distressed when hearing the offender's name.

While the court took into account the offender’s early guilty plea, remorse, cooperation with Police and time spent in custody, it said a deterrent sentence was necessary given the seriousness of the offence.

The offender will be eligible to apply for parole after serving a non-parole period of eight years and five months.

He has 30 days to appeal his sentence.