The sentence of a young man who confesses to raping a teenage girl in Gizo, Western province in 2012 will be handed down on September 30 in Honiara.
John Lilivae, now aged 25, of Western province entered his guilty plea on the day his trial was ready to commence during a High Court circuit recently in Gizo before Justice Stephen Pallaras QC.
Both the accused and the victim are residing in the same house as the then 19-year-old victim is related to the owner of the house while Lilivae is related to the owner’s wife.
According to the agreed facts, Lilivae raped the victim on the afternoon of September 24, 2012 at a village near Gizo town.
The victim was at home looking after her young child when the accused arrived at the house.
Lilivae was said to have threatened a 10-year old boy at the scene to carry the victim’s baby away while he continued his threats to the victim before raping her.
It was heard that due to threats made by the accused, the victim followed what the accused told her to do.
The accused was armed axe that he picked up from outside the house which he later placed down inside the house.
He was also said to have been drunk at the time of the offence as he had alcohol odour on him.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN