Man, 40, sentenced to 11 years in prison for rape of 12-year-old child

A 49-year-old man was handed a 12 years and 11 months imprisonment after being convicted for raping a sevenyear-old girl.

The convict was handed his sentence when appearing before Justice Usaia Ratuvili last Friday for a count of rape.

The incident occurred sometimes between January and December 2021 where the accused digitally raped the victim.

The prosecution highlighted several aggravating factors, including the significant age gap between the offender and the victim, who was only seven years old at the time, the breach of trust arising from their neighbourly relationship, and the ongoing emotional impact on the child.

The court accepted these factors, noting that the victim had considered the accused a trusted family friend.

The Victim Impact Statement revealed that the child continues to suffer fear and anxiety.

She told the court that she feels unsafe in public and is afraid of the accused. I

n a letter submitted as part of the statement, she said she regarded him “like her own father” because of his friendship with her family and described his actions as “disgusting”.

The court also noted there were no mitigating factors available because the accused person had previous convictions.

The judge adopted a starting point of 11 years imprisonment and added two years for the aggravating features, resulting in an interim sentence of 13 years.

After deducting one month for time spent in custody on remand, the final sentence was set at 12 years and 11 months imprisonment.

He will only be able to apply for parole until 11 years of prison time has been served. He has 30 days to appeal the sentence