28yo farmer gets 30 years’ jail, 18 lashes for raping teenage neighbour

By Dorcas Ting

KUCHING, June 26: A 28-year-old local farmer was sentenced to a combined 30 years in prison and ordered to receive 18 strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to three counts of raping a 15-year-old girl.

Sessions Court Judge Iris Awen Jon imposed a 10-year prison term and six lashes for each count, ruling that the sentences must run consecutively.

The accused, who appeared without legal representation, was also ordered to undergo mandatory rehabilitation counselling during his incarceration and will remain under strict police surveillance upon his release, as stipulated under Sections 26 and 27 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

The prosecution detailed that the assaults occurred on three separate dates earlier this year, beginning on Feb 17, mid-April, and May 16, all inside a white Isuzu Single Cab four-wheel-drive vehicle parked on the grounds of a plantation in the Serian district.

The charges were framed under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.

The case came to light on June 6, when the victim’s aunt spotted the teenager with the accused and informed her mother. Although the 15-year-old initially denied the relationship, her subsequent withdrawal and self-isolation prompted her mother to lodge a formal police report.

A medical evaluation by a clinical specialist from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at Serian Hospital later confirmed physical trauma consistent with sexual assault.

Following an investigation led by Inspector Uthman Affan Abdoll Kader, a team from the Serian District Police Headquarters’ Criminal Investigation Department apprehended the suspect on June 18.

Investigators established that the accused and the victim were village neighbours who had been interacting since 2023. It was also revealed that the accused had previously entered into a traditional customary marriage with another woman.

In mitigation, the accused sought leniency, citing his responsibility to help his father manage their farm and care for his ailing mother.

However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Chuah Kai Sheng pressed for a severe, deterrent sentence, arguing that statutory rape is an escalating social menace requiring strong judicial action to serve as a public warning.

The prosecution further emphasised that under Malaysian law, minors under 16 lack the legal capacity to consent to sexual relations, rendering any claims of a consensual relationship irrelevant to the charges.— DayakDaily

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