TWO men who had sexually abused two girls aged, 14 and nine back in 2016 and 2020 have been sentenced to various jail terms of five and six years during a High Court circuit in Lata, Temotu Province, Friday.
The two men JPR and JM who could not be named to protect the identity of their victims had been charged with Sexual Intercourse with a child contrary to section 139 (1) (a) of the Penal Code (Amendment) (sexual offences) Act 2016.
JM also faces an additional charge of escaping lawful custody.
The first defendant JPR who was in his 30’s was found guilty after a trial before Justice Leonard Maina.
The victim in this matter was only nine years of age at the time of the offending in 2020 in Temotu.
It was heard JM, the defendant, took the victim to climb betelnut in the bushes and whilst in the bushes, he sexually abused the victim.
The prosecution called the victim and her mother at the trial, whilst the defendant gave evidence for the defence case and did not call any other witnesses.
Justice Maina had imposed a jail term of six years for JPR.
JM was imposed with a total sentence of five years imprisonment.
He had earlier pleaded not guilty to the two charges against him but then changed his pleas to guilty on the day the trial was scheduled to start.
JM had unlawful sex with a 14-year-old girl in a village in Temotu Province on 23 October 2016.
He was 27 years old at that time.
The second charge against him related to when police arrested him for the incident on 23 October 2016.
The Lata court heard that whilst the police officer who dealt with his matter went to answer a phone call, JM escaped from the cell at the Lata Police Station.
The cell was not locked.
A few weeks later, he voluntarily turned up at the Police Station where police charged him for escaping lawful custody.
Justice Maina imposed five years imprisonment for the sexual offence, whilst six months was imposed for escaping lawful custody.
He then ordered both sentences to run concurrently, which resulted in a total sentence of five years imprisonment.
The two defendants were represented by Donation Houa, whilst Public Prosecutors, John Wesley Zoze and Patricia Tabepuda Waisanau, appeared for the Crown.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
