The man who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing his eight year-old niece between 2013 and 2014 has been sentenced to serve five years behind bars.
Justice Francis Mwanesalua imposed a one year imprisonment for each of the five counts of indecent assault charge.
Those sentences were ordered to run consecutively, meaning all the sentences were added together resulting in a total of five years imprisonment.
The man who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child victim was initially charged with four counts of defilement of a girl under 13 years.
That charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The matter came before Justice Francis Mwanesalua for trial early last month but the defence counsel made a proposal to the prosecution regarding the charges.
As a result of the proposal, the defilement charges were withdrawn after prosecution entered a nolle proseque (to no longer prosecute) on the charges.
Prosecution then filed four substituted charges of indecent assaults on which the accused entered guilty pleas to them all.
The maximum penalty of the charge of indecent assault is five years imprisonment.
The incidents occurred on unknown dates between January 2013 and 2014 at a village in Russell Islands, Central Province.
The accused was 31 years old while his sister’s daughter was only eight years old at that time of the alleged offending.
He sexually assaulted his niece on various occasions and was caught at one time by his niece’s father who then went and reported the matter to police.
He lured his niece under the pretence of her climbing betel nut for him and when she followed him, he would sexually abuse her.
Chris Rarumae of Public Solicitor’s Office represents the accused while Andrew Kelesi represents the Crown.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
