Fathers arrested or sentenced for child sexual abuse in Fiji and India

In Fiji, a man has been sentenced to 15 years and 10 months in prison following his conviction for the sexual abuse of his 12-year-old daughter between 2022 and 2023. High Court judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe noted that the offences involved rape and sexual assault committed within the family home using force and threats. The judge cited the abuse of parental trust and the significant psychological harm to the victim as aggravating factors. After accounting for time spent in remand, the offender will serve a 12-year and 10-month non-parole period.

In India, a 32-year-old man was arrested in the Gandhinagar district of Gujarat under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The arrest followed allegations that the man raped his four-year-old daughter at his residence in the Chiloda area. The incident was discovered after the child's aunt noticed injuries, leading to a medical examination at Gandhinagar Civil Hospital that confirmed sexual assault. Police investigations are ongoing.