Ha'apai sex offender jailed [1]
Monday, May 7, 2018 - 18:51
A 67-year-old man in Ha’apai was sentenced to three-years and nine-months imprisonment after pleading guilty to attempted carnal knowledge on a child, on May 3.
Sione Faka'osifono Fainga'anuku had initially pleaded not guilty to attempted carnal knowledge of a child and, in the alternative, indecent assault which took place last year, during arraignment on April 30.
However, he changed his plea to guilty before the trial was to start at the Supreme Court.
Lord Chief Justice Paulsen in sentencing the prisoner did not accept that his sentence should be suspended in whole or part as submitted by his counsel.
“He is a recidivist offender who poses a risk to children and he is not at his age likely to rehabilitate himself or respond to a deterrent sentence.”
To suspend any part of his sentence would not in my view be in the interest of society nor would it take into account the devastating effect that this offending is likely to have had on the victim, said the Chief Justice.
The sentence was backdated to October 30, 2017 when he was remanded in custody.