Uncle sentenced to 13 Years for rape of teenager at Farm

A man convicted of raping his 13-year-old niece has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment by the High Court in Suva.

The accused, 58, was acquitted of charges of sexual assault and one count of rape, but found guilty following trial of a single count of rape contrary to the Crimes Act 2009.

The offence occurred on an afternoon between May 6 and 17, 2024 at a farm in Nakasi, in the Central Division. Court evidence showed the girl had gone to help her uncle with weeding when he led her to a secluded spot under a large tree.

He was carrying a cane knife. He spread a leaf on the ground, forced her to sit, removed her trousers and underwear despite her protests and raped her.

The girl told the court she repeatedly asked him to stop because of the pain and tried to escape, but he warned her to remain still.

He later instructed her not to tell anyone or she would face consequences. The victim, referred to in proceedings only as “NEL” under a name suppression order, was a Year Eight pupil at the time.

She disclosed the incident to a school friend in July 2024, who informed a teacher.

The matter was reported to Police the same day and the accused was arrested and charged. Trial was held from February 3 to 6, 2026.

The accused was convicted on February 13, Sentence was delivered on March 13.

In sentencing, the judge noted the maximum penalty for rape is life imprisonment.

For the rape of a child, the applicable tariff is 11 to 20 years imprisonment.

A starting point of 13 years was selected and increased by five years for aggravating factors, including the incestuous nature of the offence, the breach of trust by a family member who was also a caregiver, the victim’s young age and vulnerability, the opportunistic circumstances while she was alone with the accused, and the use of a cane knife to coerce her.

In addition to the prison term, the court issued a permanent domestic violence restraining order against the accused, including standard non-molestation and non-contact conditions protecting the victim. The accused was granted 30 days to appeal to the Fiji Court of Appeal.