Praneeta Prakash 
A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to 11-years imprisonment for raping a 16-year old female he met through social media.
The incident happened on 30th May 2019 in Lautoka.
The court heard that the man sent a friend request to the victim on facebook and started messaging her,
The father of three persuaded the victim to come near a store close to her home at night.
The victim went to meet him and he drove her to an isolated place where he raped her.
Lautoka High Court Judge Aruna Aluthge highlighted that the courts have emphasized that the increasing prevalence of such offenses in the community calls for deterrent sentences.
Justice Aluthge said that the offenders must receive harsher punishment to mark the society’s outrage and denunciation against sexual abuse of children.
The man will have to serve nine years behind bars before being eligible for parole.
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