Larnaca Criminal Court on Friday jailed a 40 year man for eight years for the rape of his 14 year old step-daughter who he knew was intellectually disabled.
After a closed door trial, the Criminal Court said that the accused faced 10 charges of sexual abuse of a child. “The charges relate to 10 different instances between June 2015 and August 2016, while the accused knew the intellectual state of the minor, that is that she was intellectually disabled,” the court said.
At the time the man, who is from Nicosia and lives in Larnaca, was married to the mother of the girl.
In mitigation of the sentence the court took into account psychological reports on the accused who suffers from mild intellectual disability, the court added.
It said that the accused has limited cognitive abilities, poor organisation of thought, poor concentration and short memory. He also has difficulties in understanding, time orientation and linguistic development.
But the said that there is a duty to protect victims, particularly minors from such illegal and abusive acts.
“The problems facing the accused, without being set aside, cannot downgrade the severity of the offences and the need to impose strict sentences that act as a deterrent and the need to protect minors,” it said.
