PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC -A military court has sentenced a soldier to 10 years in jail after he was found guilty of sexually abusing his underage stepdaughter and infecting her with HIV.
The Military Court, presided over by Justice Cynthia Valstein-Montnor, ordered that, in addition to the prison sentence, the soldier should undergo psychiatric treatment for a significant portion of his detention.
The court heard that the soldier, who was married to the child’s mother at the time, committed indecent acts on the then 11-year-old stepdaughter, and during the encounters, she became infected with HIV.
The soldier expressed regret for his actions before sentencing, saying that he had learned a “costly lesson” and urged people to refrain from such behavior to avoid problems.
However, the Military Court considered the facts to be particularly serious, taking into account the young age of the victim, the relationship of trust within the family, and the lasting medical consequences for the child.
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