Litia Cava 
A man who committed the heinous act of raping a 12-year-old has been deemed by the High Court to have committed a particularly severe crime.
High Court Judge Justice R D R T Rajasinghe said a custodial sentence was unavoidable for such offences, in order to stress the gravity of the crime and to demonstrate society’s unequivocal condemnation of such acts.
Rajasinghe imposed a prison term of 13 years.
The incident took place in a female restroom at a community hall between December 1st and December 11, 2016.
Rajasinghe highlighted that the exploitation of young girls in a sexual manner has evolved into a pressing social concern.
He further noted that the disturbing issue of exploiting children for sexual gratification requires immediate and efficient intervention.
The high court judge additionally reiterated that his decision to the sentence was grounded in the principle of discouraging future instances of such offences.
The man will be eligible for parole after serving 11 years and 11 months behind bars.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
