Sepik man gets 12 years for raping in-law

A MAN from East Sepik was sentenced on Nov 12 by the Madang National Court to serve 12 years with hard labour for raping his 16-year-old sister-in-law.
Felix Minja, 29, from Ambunti was living with his wife in her village in Usino-Bundi, Madang, at the time of his crime which he committed on the night of Feb 12 last year at the victim’s Kesawai village.
Minja’s offence of rape contravened sections 347(1) and (2) of the Criminal Code Act (CCA); to which the 29-year-old pleaded guilty.
He had been convicted of one count of rape committed in circumstances of aggravation; which meant that he confined or restrained the victim, hence sections 347(1) and (2) of the CCA.
The court heard that on the night of the offence, Minja had told his wife to bring her younger sister to the house and did as she was told as she was scared of her husband.
The offender then took his wife’s sister into his house where he sexually penetrated her.
“She did not freely and voluntarily agree to have sex with him. She submitted as she was in fear of harm to herself and her big sister. Thus, she did not consent. She tried to run away, but he restrained her against her will,” judge Justice David Cannings said in his decision.
Cannings said the fact that the offender committed this offence after serving time for armed robbery suggested that he had learned nothing from his previous conflict with the law and that the community needed to be protected from him.
“ I will not suspend any part of the sentence.”
The judge deducted one year and nine months for pre-sentencing and Minja will now serve 10 years and three months at the Beon jail in Madang.