Student jailed eight years for sexual abuse of minor

By JIMMY KALEBE
A STUDENT has been jailed for eight years for raping a minor three years ago.
National Court judge Frazer Pitpit found Lingi Wai, 19, guilty of raping the six-year-old girl between March 1 and April 4, 2016, at 3-Mile outside Lae.
The court was told that Wai, then 16, from Boana in Nawaeb had lured the girl by showing her a 20 toea coin.
The girl’s mother a few days later noticed redness around her private part and questioned her. She told her what happened. A medical report tendered in court confirmed redness and abrasion around her private part. Wai denied the charge but Justice Pitpit said the girl had firmly identified him as the assailant.
He considered the fact that Wai did not threaten her or used any weapon to intimidate her. He only lured her with the coin.
Justice Pitpit said the aggravating factor was the age difference of 10 years, the injuries caused on the girl’s private part although she did not appear traumatised.
He ordered that three years, one month and five days be deducted from the sentence as the time spent in custody to await trial.
Wai will serve four years, 10 months, three weeks and two days with hard labour at Buimo jail.