A MAN raped a two-year-old girl which resulted in her getting an STD and needing a blood transfusion due to the severity of the injuries.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been jailed for 13 years after pleading guilty to sexual intercourse without consent at Alice Springs Supreme Court, Australia, on Friday.
The convicted rapist infected the little girl with gonorrhea after attacking her on February 15, 2018.
As a result of the traumatic incident, the child suffered severe psychological damage.
Following the assault, she was treated for severe internal injuries including bruising, cuts, bleeding and swelling.
She had received stitches to treat the numerous lacerations on her body.
According to court hearings, the rapist entered the girl's home between 10pm and midnight where she was sleeping with her mother and brother in the living room.
“Crimes of this nature against children are abhorrent,” Justice Kelly said in court.
“They inspire disgust and loathing.
“Now, I don’t know how much planning was involved but the crime was not opportunistic; it is not as though you were living in that house and suddenly succumbed to temptation.”
The rapist had initially denied being responsible to police and gave a false alibi before his DNA linked him to the crime.
He later blamed his difficult upbringing for his actions when speaking to a psychiatrist.
The rapist had been raised by an aunt and abandoned by his parents but he was not found to have any psychotic illness or cognitive impairment that would explain his actions, the court heard.
A victim impact statement from the girl’s father stated that while his family was strong, “I can’t express my sadness, I have no words."
The father also expressed how hard the incident was on the little girl's mother.
Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne wrote a scathing report about Northern Territory child protection services, who had dealt with the family for a number of years.
She wrote: "They should have known the girl was at “foreseeable risk of harm and that risk could have been managed or mitigated."