A 23-year-old woman convicted of seven charges of sexual connection involving an 11-year-old girl, has been sentenced to four years and six months in jail.
The recent sentencing was handed down by Justice Leiataualesa Daryl Clarke.
According to the Summary of Facts accepted by the defendant, the sexual incidents started in November 2021 six times afterwards.
The court document says the offence came to light when messages between the defendant and the victim were discovered.
The victim was then confronted by her mother and the victim admitted to having been in a “relationship” with the defendant. In the pre-sentence report, the defendant claims she was “dating” the victim and the sexual contact was initiated by the victim who is now 12 years old.
At the time of your offending, she was 11 years old.
According to a VIR submitted to the Court through the Office of the Attorney General, the offence has had a significant impact on the victim with confusion over her own sexuality, the nature of her relationship with you, loss of self-confidence and her relationship with family members.
“As a child, this is not surprising in the least.
Justice Clarke says there the characterization of what occurred between the defendant and the victim as a “relationship” or dating to suggest there was something normal about her actions is entirely wrong.
“The victim was 11 years of age. There was no “dating” or a courting “relationship” but a relationship of sexual abuse where you took advantage of a child over a number of months.
“The victim could not possibly understand what was occurring or the ramifications of her actions.
“It was destructive sexual abuse. In doing so, you breached the immense trust vested in you by the victim’s family when they allowed you to stay with them, and to do so sleeping in close proximity to their children – a parent and family’s greatest treasure.”
The Supreme Court Justice pointed out the defendant committed these sexual acts on her over a lengthy period of approximately 6 months and in doing so, “also betrayed the generosity, kindness and significant trust of the victim’s family who took you into their home.”
The defendant is convicted on all seven charges and is to serve four years and six months in jail. Justice Clarke also issued a suppression order on the publication, the name and details of the victim and defendant.
