SUVA, FIJI, January 15, 2005: The father of two 16-year-old boys who appeared in court yesterday for sacrilege in a Hindu temple was fined US$78 by the Suva court yesterday for failing to be a good dad. This is the first time in Fiji legal history that such a sentence has been handed down. Juvenile Court magistrate Ajmal Khan said the twin boys’ father was directly responsible for their actions because he did not bring them up to respect other people’s religions and belongings. The twins were charged with burglary, housebreaking and sacrilege after being arrested for burning holy books inside a Hindu temple at Delaivalelevu, Nasinu, late last year.
He ordered their father to pay $50 to the owners of the temple to replace the burnt holy books and $40 to the court and sentenced the twins to six months imprisonment suspended for 12 months. Last night Mr. Khan said he exercised his powers under a provision seldom used in the juvenile act. “As far as I’m concerned this is probably the first case where a parent has been fined for his or her child’s wrongdoing.” “Under the act, the magistrate has three options; to fine the parents, take them in as surety, or have them bound over in the child’s place.” “I decided on the fine as the father had stated that he had a gravel-making business and was able to support himself,” Mr Khan said.
“He seems to have thought that taking care of his children was the state’s responsibility. If you want to have children, then you should take care of them. Especially for someone who has all the means to support himself,” Mr. Khan said. The court heard the twins’ father, who had been separated from his wife, chased the two out of his house when he found out they had been charged with sacrilege.
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