Peceli Naviticoko 
[Photo: File]
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for raping an elderly woman in her home in Taveuni.
The man was sentenced by the Labasa High Court yesterday.
The court heard that in May last year, the man attacked the woman when she went to check the solar shed in the basement of her home.
He assaulted her before raping her without her consent.
The woman suffered injuries to her face and private parts.
The man fled before a neighbour arrived and found the victim in a state of shock.
In sentencing, the court considered the woman’s vulnerability, the violence used during the attack, and the lasting impact on her life.
The court heard the attack shattered her dream of spending her retirement between Fiji and New Zealand, forcing her to sell her home in Taveuni and leave the country.
He was also convicted of criminal trespass, breaching bail conditions, and assault causing actual bodily harm.
He is eligible for parole after spending eight years and eight months behind bars.
