Man jailed 14 years for raping stepdaughter on multiple occasions

A 34-year-old Sigatoka man has been sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment after admitting to repeatedly raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter over more than two years.

The accused was sentenced in the High Court in Lautoka earlier this week after pleading guilty to six counts of rape.

While delivering the sentence, Justice Riyaz Hamza said the offending began in July 2023, when the girl was eight years old, and continued until January 2026.

The accused admitted sexually abusing the child on multiple occasions at their home, a nearby riverbank and in the bush.

The court heard the child did not report the abuse because the accused repeatedly assaulted her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

The offending came to light after the girl confided in a classmate, who informed two other students. The matter was then reported to the school's Child Protection Officer, who referred it to education authorities before police were notified.

While the court accepted the accused's guilty plea, remorse and co-operation with police, Justice Hamza found the aggravating factors, including the victim's young age, the repeated offending and the breach of trust, far outweighed the mitigating factors.

The accused was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment. Taking into account time already served in remand, the remaining sentence is 13 years and seven-and-a-half months.

A non-parole period of 11 years and seven months was imposed.

The accused has 30 days to appeal the sentence.