A MAN was sentenced on Wednesday to 13 years in prison for raping his 14 year-old daughter on three occasions in 2016.
T.K, 47, was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to three counts of rape.
Justice Maelyn Bird when sentencing the defendant that what he did to his daughter is very demeaning to her.
“You have caused her shame and trauma,” Justice Bird said.
“She told you after third incident that she is your daughter and did not accept what you did to her,” she added.
Justice Bird further told the defendant that he had robbed his daughter of her innocence at the very young age.
“There is a huge age gap between you and the Complainant and absolutely no excuse for you to commit the offences.
“The Complainant is your own daughter.”
“Being the father of the Complainant, you’re supposed to be the very person she could look up to for personal care, security and safety.
“Your family and community also expect you to behave in that fashion,” Justice Bird told the defendant.
Justice Bird also told the defendant that he had committed the rape on three occasion and used force on the Complainant on all three occasions.
The court also heard the defendant also threatened to cause harm to the Complainant if she refuses.
“You have breached the trust placed upon you and has sexually molested your very own daughter.
Having said that, Justice Bird also gave credit to the defendant for his early guilty plea, for being a first time offender and also considered a delay of more than five years.
The defendant’s lawyer had told the court his client had been in pre-trial custody for five years and six months.
The court further heard the offences occurred between January 2016 to 30 April 2016 and the matter committed to the High Court on 27 October 2016.
The Initial information was filed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on 29 November 2016 and the matter was just finalised.
In light of the delay, Justice Bird said the delay of more than five years is unacceptable, undue delay and is a breach of the provisions of section 10 of the constitution.
She first impose a starting point of 12 years and then added another three years for the aggravating features.
Justice Bird then reduced two years for the defendant’s early guilty plea and for the delay in this matter.
“Therefore, I sentenced you to a period of 13 years imprisonment.
She also took into account the time the defendant spent in pre-trial custody.
The three incidents occurred in 2016, in Guadalcanal.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
