In a recent appellate court decision, 39-year-old R.W. was sentenced to three years in prison for sexual abuse, reaffirming the initial verdict handed down by the district court earlier this year. The Court of Justice dismissed the appeal filed by defense attorney Valerian Bendanon, who argued that the district court had imposed an excessively harsh penalty without proper justification. Bendanon highlighted that the court had failed to explain why the sentence exceeded the two-year term initially requested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. R.W. was convicted of repeatedly sexually abusing his partner’s 14-year-old sister, resulting in her pregnancy. The victim has since given birth. During the hearing, R.W. expressed remorse, stating, “I have recognized my mistakes and realized I could not continue such behavior. I have become very weak but have learned a lot during my detention,” he said with his head bowed. R.W. expressed relief that the victim could return to school and pledged to take responsibility for the child’s care. Despite R.W. being a first-time offender, the Public Prosecutor urged the court to uphold the three-year sentence. Judge Anand Charan concluded, “We agree with the three-year sentence, and it will stand.”