Former teacher gets six years for student rape

THE National Court in Kokopo has sentenced a former teacher to nearly six years in jail for raping a female student. John Talvat, 30, was charged with the offence on April 8, 2010.
His original sentence was 10 years imprisonment but taking into account pre-trial custody and compensations, the jail term was almost halved.
The court heard Talvat invited the girl to his house to verify rumours that they were in love. He later raped her.
Acting judge Justice David Maliku said the case was serious because Talvat, being a teacher at the time the crime was committed, knew that such a relationship existed between him and the victim. Other students at a primary school in East New Britain also had knowledge of the relationship.
“Sexual penetration offences have been committed with or without violence,” Maliku said.
“It is committed in the homes by close relatives and appears to be creeping into our schools.
“Where the relationship of trust exists between a teacher and student and abused by the teacher, it calls for tougher penalties as a deterrent because this relationship of trust also exists with parents who send their children to school each day.”
Maliku told Talvat he did not believe his story but believed the evidence of the victim as well as the documentary evidence tendered to the court.
“You (Talvat) told the court that you comforted her and treated her like how a professional teacher would do, but you lied. You did the opposite.”
Maliku sentenced Talvat to 10 years in prison minus the pre-trial period of three weeks and four days.
Two years from the balance of nine years 11 months-plus were deducted because the prisoner had paid a compensation of K2,500 to the victim, leaving the balance of seven years 11 months-plus a further two years was deducted from seven years 11 months on the condition that the prisoner paid 50 fathoms of traditional Tolai money and K500 in cash to the victim.