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Public Prosecutor v Andrew [2020] VUSC 231; Criminal Case 2771 of 2018 (21 September 2020)

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF Criminal

THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU Case No. 18/2771 SC/CRML

(Criminal Jurisdiction)


PUBLIC PROSECUTOR

v

PAKOA SAM ANDREW


Date: 21 September 2020

Before: Justice V.M. Trief

Counsel: Public Prosecutor – Ms M. Tasso

Defendant – Mr F. Tasso


SENTENCE


  1. Introduction
  1. Mr Andrew pleaded guilty to two charges each of sexual intercourse without consent and acts of indecency.
  1. Facts
  1. The victim LA has a severe physical and mental disability and is confined to a wheelchair. She cannot speak and she cannot walk. LA’s father is the complainant.
  2. In 2015, after the community had held a devotion at the complainant’s house on Tongoa island, Mr Andrew began to feel sexually attracted to LA. LA was sitting in her wheelchair outside the house and Mr Andrew started to touch her and inserted his finger into her vagina (Count 1).
  3. On another three occasions in 2015, Mr Andrew pushed LA off her wheelchair and had sexual intercourse with her by inserting his penis into her vagina (Count 2).
  4. On another occasion in 2015, Mr Andrew touched LA’s breast when he came across her alone in her wheelchair (Count 3).
  5. On 28 August 2018, LA’s parents took LA to their neighbour’s house as they did not want to leave her at home alone while they went to their garden. LA’s father returned home to find Mr Andrew in the bush kitchen, showing his penis to LA who was seated in her wheelchair (Count 4).
  6. On 30 August 2018, Mr Andrew was arrested and interviewed. He made full admissions.
  1. Sentence Start Point
  1. The maximum sentence for sexual intercourse without consent is life imprisonment, and for acts of indecency 7 years imprisonment.
  2. There are no mitigating aspects to the offending. There are however aggravating factors:
  1. The maximum penalties for Mr Andrew’s offending and the aggravating factors of the offending require a global sentence start point of 11 years imprisonment.
  1. Deduction for Guilty Plea
  1. Mr Andrew pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. He also made full admissions to the Police two days after LA’s father caught him in 2018. Without those admissions, it is unlikely that the offending would have been detected given that LA cannot speak. A one third deduction (44 months) is warranted.
  1. Personal Factors
  1. Mr Andrew is 59 years old. He is married and has nine children. His wife and children reside on Tongoa while he currently resides in Port Vila and is employed in a construction company. Mr Andrew has no previous convictions. However, in offences of sexual nature, a person’s previous good character has very little relevance in mitigating a sentence.
  2. Mr Andrew performed a custom reconciliation ceremony to LA’s family and to the chiefs of Lumbukuti Village involving 2 pigs, yams, manioc, 10 mats and VT2,000. LA’s father expressed that they had accepted the reconciliation ceremony as a form of ‘klinim fes’ but that it did not erase what Mr Andrew had done to his daughter who is a vulnerable person and living with disabilities.
  3. For Mr Andrew’s personal factors, I deduct 3 months.
  1. End Sentence
  1. The sentencing principles applicable in this case are holding Mr Andrew accountable for his conduct, to denounce the criminal conduct and emphasize public disapproval of such offending, to protect the community, and to deter him and others from acting in this manner in future.
  2. Taking all of those matters into account, the end sentences imposed on the four charges concurrently are:
    1. Sexual intercourse without consent (Count 2) 7 years 1 month imprisonment;
    2. Sexual intercourse without consent (Count 1) 5 years imprisonment; and
    1. Acts of indecency (Counts 3 and 4) 12 months imprisonment.
  3. The sentences are to commence from 10 August 2020 to take into ntcount the 42 days that Mr Andrew has spent in custody.
  1. Suspension
  1. An immediate custodial sentence must be imposed. This reflects society’s abhorrence for sexual offending which persons with disabilities can be particularly vulnerable to. I decline to exercise my discretion to suspend Mr Andrew’s sentence. >
  2. Mr Andrew has 14 days to apphis sentence if he disagrees with it.
  3. The name and details leading to identification of LA are permanently suppressed.

DATED at Port Vila this 21st day of September 2020

BY THE COURT


.................................................

Viran Molisa Trief

Judge


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