Litia Cava 
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A man has been sentenced to 13 years and nine months in prison, with a non-parole period of 11 years by the Suva High Court.
High Court judge Justice Daniel Goundar handed down the sentence after the man was convicted of digitally raping a four-year-old girl.
The offence took place on March 2 this year at the YMCA on Waimanu Road, Suva. The man was employed as a watchman.
According to the facts of the case,the child had wandered into the basement after attending a church service. She was discovered by her 13-year-old sister while he was committing the assault.
The parents confronted him and escorted him to the police station.
Justice Goundar said the circumstances of the offence were deeply disturbing.
He noted the victim’s extreme vulnerability, the offender’s intoxication, and the 50-year age gap.
The judge added that the man had shown little remorse and attempted to blame the child for the crime.
The court applied sentencing guidelines for child rape, citing similar cases in Fiji where offenders received lengthy prison terms.
Aggravating factors added four years to the sentence, while good prior character reduced it by one year.
Time spent on remand reduced the term by three months.
Justice Goundar emphasized that sexual offences against vulnerable children require strong denunciation and deterrence.
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