* Man found guilty of indecently assaulting, raping daughter
* Def case on alleged unlawful entry continues next week
Man found guilty of indecently assaulting, raping daughter
A 39-year-old man accused of indecently assaulting and raping her daughter in 2013 and 2019 had been found guilty and convicted for both offences, Wednesday.
Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison found the man guilty of one count of indecent assault and one count of incest after a trial.
The trial was conducted in a closed court in October.
The first incident occurred in 2013 when the accused’s daughter was only seven years old.
The victim was sleeping in a room when her father woke her up.
After telling her a story about a monkey who had a girlfriend, the accused then allegedly indecently assaulted her.
The second incident of incest happened on the 28 September 2019 in the Panatina area, East of Honiara.
At that time the accused and the victim’s mother were separated and no longer living together.
The victim who was 14 years old at that time was living with her father at West Honiara.
The court heard the accused took the victim to Panatina on a public bus.
They dropped off at Panatina and went to an area close to Panatina field where he allegedly raped her.
This was after he threatened to shoot her with a stone.
The victim reported the matter to her cousin and aunty the next morning and later reported to the police.
The prosecution called five witnesses at the trial while the accused chose to remain silent and did not call any other witness.
At the end of the trial, Hollison found the accused guilty of the two offenses and had him convicted.
Mitigation and sentencing submissions on this matter will be made in court on December 16.
Public Solicitor’s lawyer Benham Ifuto’o represents the accused while Public Prosecutor Jonathan Auga is prosecuting.
Def case on alleged unlawful entry continues next week
THE defence case of the Fiji national accused of entering the country without an exemption on a repatriation flight from Fiji in July will continue next week.
This followed the start of the defence case on Tuesday after the prosecution closed its case.
Natasha Neha Sherma is facing trial for the prohibition of entry of non-citizens.
The prosecution called two witnesses at the trial that started on Monday before Chief Magistrate Emma Garo.
The defence opened their case on Tuesday with the evidence of Sherma.
She will be calling two witnesses to defend her on Monday next week when the trial resumes.
Sherma was accused of entering the country on July 1 without an exemption from the Prime Minister or the Oversight Committee.
The prosecution alleged that she boarded the Solomon Islands Government organised repatriation flight in Vanuatu on July 1.
Sherma was married to a Solomon Islands law student who studied law at the Emalus Campus in Vanuatu.
She came with her husband on the repatriation flight on July 1.
Under the current State of Public Emergency, the Government has put in place flight restrictions due to Covid-19.
Therefore, all foreign nationals wishing to travel to the Solomon Islands have been advised to seek prior approval from the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The application for special entry permit can be submitted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade.
The prosecution further alleged that Sherma did not apply for one and therefore was not exempted or approved by the OPMC/Oversight Committee, thus, in contravention of “prohibition of entry of non-citizens.
Public Solicitor George Gray and PSO lawyer Donation Houa represent Sherma while Public Prosecutor Dalcy Belapitu Oligari appears for the Crown.
