A 44 year-old man who had unlawful sex with his 12 year-old niece in 2018 has been sent behind bars for six years.
The man who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim because they are related pleaded guilty to one count of sexual intercourse with a child under 15 15 years.
Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer when sentencing the accused last Saturday in Auki said the courts in this country have duty to ensure there is sufficient general and specific deterrence in the community by the type of the sentences that are imposed.
“The court has a duty to rebuild the walls of respect, restraint and purity as they relate to the attitudes and behavior of men towards young girls and children in our community,” Sir Albert said.
The incident occurred in the afternoon of 19 August 2018 at a coconut plantation in a village in Aoke Langalanga, Malaita.
The accused is the biological brother of the victim’s mother and reside together in the same village at the time of the offending.
On the day of the incident the accused told the victim to go and fetch some dry coconuts from the coconut plantation.
The victim asked her cousin sister to accompany her to the plantation.
At the plantation they started collecting dry coconuts when they suddenly saw the accused that had followed them to the plantation.
He was seen holding a bush knife.
The accused went and removed a bush knife from the victim’s cousin sister.
He then threatened both the victim and her cousin sister not to scream otherwise he will cut them to death with the bush knife he was holding.
It was then that the accused dragged the victim about six meters from where the victim’s cousin sister was standing.
He told the victim’s cousin to turn away and then raped the victim.
After raping her, the accused then threatened them again not to tell anyone otherwise he would kill them both with the knife.
The victim and her cousin sister returned home and did not tell anyone about the incident.
She then started experiencing sharp pain and bleeding when she went to have shower.
It was the victim’s cousin sister who told her mother about the incident.
That story later reached the victim’s mother who then reported the matter to police in Auki.
Sir Albert said the accused has abused the trust and responsibility as an uncle.
He said the victim’s parents, the society, the law and the victim’ expected the accused to take care of the her but the accused instead betrayed and breached that family trust and confidence in him as an uncle and allowed his feelings and desires to take control of him.
The accused had since paid the victim $200 as compensation.
The family of the victim has also taken a pig worth $1,800, a TV screen and a generator as compensation from the accused.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
