A village headman in the northern division has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by the Labasa High Court after pleading guilty to a charge of defilement.
The court heard that the 23-year-old man committed the offence on a form 5 student between 19th and 25th May last year after he was appointed village headman.
While sentencing him High Court Judge Justice Daniel Goundar said that custodial sentences are appropriate in cases of sexual exploitation of younger girls by old men or men who hold positions of authority over the girls.
The Judge added that the position of a village headman is a powerful one because he can always assert pressure on the occupants of the village to comply with his directives.
He said courts have a duty to protect the young girls from any form of sexual exploitation.
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