21‑year‑old Isoa Rainima who was found guilty of raping a 23‑year‑old woman in Holland Street in 2016 will be sentenced today.
High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo has convicted Rainima of one count of assault with intent to rape, 7 counts of rape and one count each of Sexual assault, criminal intimidation and robbery.
All three assessors in the case also returned with a unanimous guilty opinion on all the charges.
In his summing up, Justice Temo said the prosecution’s case said that it was alleged that on the 30th of December 2016, the man approached the victim from behind as she was walking towards Knolly Street and assaulted her.
Justice Temo said that after this, the man threw the victim off the railings along Holland Street, assaulted and raped her.
While submitting the aggravating factors, the DPP lawyer submitted that the 21‑year‑old be given a life imprisonment sentence due to the extensive violence inflicted on the victim, the attack was very prolonged, the use of two weapons on the victim and the level of cruelty that is associated with the offence.
The Defense lawyer on the other hand had asked that the man be given a sentence that is on the lower end of the tariff which is 7 years due to his age.
Justice Temo in response to that said that defence lawyer was very brave to have asked for that sentence.
He said parents nowadays are fearing sending their daughters out because of such crimes.
Justice Temo said we all have mothers, sisters, daughters and wives and there is a need for the court to teach offenders of such crime a lesson.
