Litia Cava 
A man in Labasa has been convicted of sexually assaulting a minor.
The High Court in Labasa ruled that the evidence left no doubt about his guilt.
The victim, who was 11 years old at the time was sexually abused by a male relative at her family home.
Court documents revealed that the accused initially hugged the victim before sexually assaulting her.
The victim said she was afraid to tell anyone immediately due to threats from the accused.
She eventually disclosed the abuse to her mother several months later and reported it to police the following day.
The accused denied the sexual assaults, claiming he only hugged the victim and suggesting she had mental difficulties.
The High Court rejected these claims, describing them as attempts to minimise his behaviour.
High Court judge Justice Lee Burney noted that minor discrepancies in dates between witnesses were expected due to the passage of time and did not affect the credibility of the victim’s testimony.
The victim’s mother testified that her children were under the care of the accused’s family while she and her husband worked on their farm.
She confirmed that her daughter reported the abuse to her after school on August 30, 2022, explaining that fear and the threat of violence had delayed her disclosure.
The court found the victim’s testimony to be clear, coherent and credible.
Justice Burney concluded that the accused had the opportunity and means to commit the assaults as described.
Parties now have 30 days to appeal the conviction to the Court of Appeal.
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