Apenisa Waqairadovu 
The Suva High Court has jailed an 84-year-old man for rape, delivering justice 18 years after the offence was committed.
The court heard that the man raped a young girl in 2008 when he was 66 years old.
The victim regarded him as her grandfather.
In sentencing, the High Court rejected the defence’s argument that his advanced age should be treated as a mitigating factor.
The judge described his actions as degrading and a serious breach of trust against a young and innocent victim.
The court stressed that age does not excuse criminal behaviour and said the sentence must serve as a deterrent, including to elderly members of the community, to make it clear that such offences will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
The man was sentenced to imprisonment with a fixed non-parole period of five years.
The court also acknowledged the long-lasting trauma suffered by the victim and reaffirmed the need to protect children and hold offenders accountable, regardless of how much time has passed since the crime.
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