Local man gets seven years for raping underage lover

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TAWAU: A 25-year-old local man was sentenced to seven years’ jail and ordered to be given two strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here yesterday for statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl.

The judge meted out the sentence on Basir bin Bambang who pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 375(g) of the Penal Code which provides imprisonment of no less than five years and not more than 30 years and whipping.

Deputy public prosecutor Nizi Shazril Ithnin told the court that the accused raped the victim who was 15 years and 11 months old, about 11.30pm on May 19 this year in a room at a house at Ladang Table, Kampung Arongan, Bombalai.

Police investigation revealed that the accused and the victim have been lovers for five months through phone calls but their relationship was not approved by the girl’s parents.

Because of the disapproval, both promised to meet at 10.30am on May 7 and the victim followed the accused to his house at Kampung Arongan. She stayed with him for 14 days and did not want to return to her house as she was afraid of her parents. They had consensual sex about 11.30pm on May 19 in the bedroom of the accused.

The victim’s parents found their daughter inside the house of the accused’s friend at Kampung Sungai Imam, Bombalai about 8am on May 21 and lodged a police report. The accused was detained about 12.40pm on the same day.