Sanjay Ujoodha: Mauritian man jailed for sexually abusing vulnerable disabled woman he met online

A Mauritian man has been handed a five-and-a-half year jail term for sexually exploiting a severely impaired woman at her Perth home after making contact via social media. Sanjay Ujoodha was 24 when he started communicating with the then-29-year-old, non-verbal victim on Facebook then visited her four times after she texted him her address. On the first occasion, lasting about an hour, there was pecking and kissing but nothing more, District Court of WA Judge Michael Bowden said in sentencing Ujoodha on Tuesday. “You told the police that you were speaking to her, and she was nodding,” Judge Bowden said. “The second visit occurred a few days later. You stayed for about an hour, drank coffee, she kissed you, you hugged her, she hugged you, but there was no clothing removed.” The third visit was when the offending occurred. Ujoodha told police that he became scared afterwards and told the woman that he would only meet her again when her father or somebody else was present. The fourth visit lasted about 15 minutes and involved a cup of tea. Ujoodha initially faced three counts of sexually penetrating an incapable person but pleaded guilty to two counts in a deal with prosecutors in November, conceding he knew the woman’s condition. She has suffered disabilities from birth including intellectual impairment, deafness and epilepsy. A doctor advised the court that it was not possible to engage her in back and forth conversation, and she did not have the mental capacity to make significant decisions. “She’s incapable of guarding against sexual exploitation in a practical sense and incapable of understanding the nature of the act,” Judge Bowden said. Ujoodha, now 28, hadn’t been involved in any sexual relationships before he came to Australia, where he had no support network or friends. “There’s maybe an element of cultural misalignment,” Judge Bowden said. “You may not have been aware of the nuances of the standard of consent in Australia, particularly for those who suffer from mental impairment.” Ujoodha, who has been bashed in prison, will be eligible for parole after serving three-and-a-half years behind bars.