A Sri Lankan caregiver has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison in New Zealand after being found guilty of raping an elderly woman and sexually assaulting another resident at a residential care facility.
The man, identified as Nilushan Jayanga Silva Ginthota Vidhanage, was sentenced by the Christchurch District Court in May. His identity was made public on Monday after a suppression order was lifted by the court.
According to Radio New Zealand (RNZ), Vidhanage was convicted of one count of rape and two counts of unlawful sexual connection involving two elderly women at the care facility where he was employed. The name of the facility remains permanently suppressed by court order.
During sentencing, Judge Jane Farish described the victims as highly vulnerable due to their physical and mental conditions and said the offences represented a serious breach of trust by a caregiver entrusted with their wellbeing.
The court also heard that Vidhanage later pleaded guilty to a charge of intimidation after approaching an 11-year-old girl, stopping his car, offering her a cigarette and a ride, and directing her to get into the vehicle. The girl fled the scene, noted the vehicle’s registration number and reported the incident to her mother, leading to his arrest.
Judge Farish said Vidhanage showed no remorse and continued to deny the sexual offending. She ordered that he serve one-third of his sentence before being deported to Sri Lanka.
Police in New Zealand said they do not believe there are any additional victims linked to the care facility but urged anyone with relevant information to come forward.(Newswire)