A 55-year-old man from Lau convicted of raping his niece over five years, starting in 2016 when she was in year eight, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.
The man from Moala defiled his niece after she came to live with his family when her mother passed away in 2016. The court heard that he raped the victim 14 times, beginning when she was only a Year eight student and ended when she was in Year 13 in 2021.
Each time he would give the victim money and threatened her not to tell anyone of the incidents.
The crime came to light on 7 January 2021 after a villager noticed the two “signal to each other to meet somewhere.” They approached the victim and she revealed the rape.
In passing sentence, Justice Dr Thushara Kumarage said the victim’s trust of the pertrator was shattered given that they were immediate family members.
“In this matter, you had committed the sexual offences stated in information filed in Court during a period of five years on your 14-year-old niece, who was residing with you after the demise of her mother.
“In this regard, this Courts has a duty to discourage and deter this kind of behavior that belittles the much-valued family fabric of our society and the protection of vulnerable children.”
The man was sentenced to 13 years in prison with a non parole period of 12 years six months.
