One of the three female victims who were raped and sexually assaulted by Agape Healing Church Ministry Pastor Waisake Tulavu revealed in court today that she had been affected emotionally and spiritually by the incident.
The matter was called today for sentencing hearing in the High Court in Suva before judge Justice Daniel Goundar.
Justice Goundar had found Tulavu guilty of four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault last week.
Tulavu had raped two women and sexually assaulted another woman from the church between May and September 2018.
The victim told the court that she had been affected in all aspects of her life and she had stopped going to church because of the incident that had happened between her and Tulavu.
She said her own family members and cousins sometimes teased her because of the incident.
Another victim shared similar sentiments and told the court that she had been laughed at by youths and members of her village during church services following the incidents.
State lawyer Sadaf Shameem submitted in court that Tulavu had breached the trust of all three victims and he was related to two of the victims.
Ms Shameem told the court that another aggravating factor in the matter was the fact that there was a certain degree of planning and deceit by the accused.
She also said the victims were vulnerable and requested if the court could pass a sentence reflecting the gravity of the incidents and the tariff be set at the higher end.
Tulavu was further remanded.
He will be sentenced on Friday.
