Grandfather charged with raping 14-year-old student denied bail

A 62-year-old grandfather charged with sexual offences against a 14-year-old student has been denied bail after the High Court in Labasa ruled that his release would pose an unacceptable risk to the child's safety and welfare.

Justice Daniel Goundar also found there was a risk of interference with the complainant or other witnesses, which could not be adequately addressed through proposed bail conditions.

The accused faces one count of rape, three counts of sexual assault and two counts of indecent assault.

He has been remanded in custody since July 23, 2026, and a trial date has yet to be fixed.

Child's vulnerability considered

In his bail ruling, Justice Goundar said the alleged offences occurred within a close family setting.

The complainant was significantly younger than the accused and depended on adults and family structures for her safety, support and daily life.

The judge said the complainant was a child under the relevant constitutional and child-protection framework.

He emphasised that a child complainant in a sexual offence case should not be treated in the same way as an adult witness simply because she might be capable of giving evidence.

Her age, continued schooling, the nature of the allegations and her alleged family relationship with the accused were relevant to assessing her vulnerability.

Bail conditions insufficient

Justice Goundar said he was satisfied that releasing the accused would create an unacceptable risk to the complainant's safety and welfare.

He also identified a risk of direct or indirect interference with the complainant or other witnesses.

The judge found that the proposed sureties, residential address, reporting requirements, curfew and no-contact conditions would not adequately address those risks.

Under Section 3(1) of the Bail Act 2002, an accused person has the right to be released on bail unless granting bail would not be in the interests of justice.

Having considered the circumstances, Justice Goundar refused the bail application.

The accused remains in custody awaiting trial.