Father jailed 17 years for raping 12-year-old daughter

A father who raped his 12-year-old daughter four times and sexually assaulted her has been jailed for 17 years by the High Court in Labasa.

The man was sentenced on Friday after being convicted of four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The court heard that he raped his daughter on four separate occasions between 2022 and 2023.

The girl was 12 when the offending began.

In sentencing, the court described the case as the sexual exploitation of a young child by a close family member in her own home.

The court found the man’s culpability to be high, noting that he assaulted the girl while she was asleep in his room.

When she tried to alert her mother and brother, who were also asleep in the same room, he covered her mouth and threatened her not to shout.

The court said he had abused the trust and confidence placed in him as the girl’s father.

It also found that the offences had caused significant emotional and psychological harm to the child, with a victim impact report stating that the abuse had shattered her self-confidence.

The court set a starting point of 15 years but increased it by three years because of aggravating factors, including the victim’s young age and the relationship between the father and his daughter.

One year was later deducted for his previous good character, resulting in a head sentence of 17 years.

The man had already spent more than a year in remand, which the court credited towards his sentence.

His actual sentence is therefore 15 years and 10 months, with 12 years and 10 months to serve before he can be considered for parole.

The court also issued a permanent Domestic Violence Restraining Order, banning him from contacting or molesting the victim.

He has 30 days to appeal.