KUCHING: PKR Women supports the call of Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah to jail rapists of minors and amend Section 294 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) to better protect the underage from sexual abuse.
Its national vice-chief Voon Shiak Ni said minors should not be stripped of the protection of the law.
She feared that the recent two statutory rapes of girls aged 12 and 13, where the two perpetrators were merely sentenced to a RM25,000 good behaviour bond, would open the floodgates for similar cases in the future.
“Section 294 of the CPC accord first offenders of offences punishable with imprisonment to be bound over with good behaviour upon reasons of example age, health, mental conditions, character and trivial nature of the offence.
“Rape is not a trivial offence so under the circumstances, Section 294 should not be used to bind first offenders who have committed statutory rape.
“Perpetrators should be punished with imprisonment as rape is one of the most heinous crimes and our young girls should rightfully be accorded the necessary protection,” she said in a statement yesterday.
According to Voon, statutory rape under Section 376 of the CPC applies to sex with or without the consent of girls under 16.
“The recent court decisions of letting the perpetrators be bound over upon reason of consent to sex by a 12-year-old girl had led to a wide public outcry and outrage, not only from women’s groups but also Suhakam (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia) and other NGOs.
“Hence, we support the call to the amendment of Section 294 and suggest that Datuk Fatimah
send a letter to the Federal Attorney, general’s chambers to convey the wishes of women organisations and concerns of Sarawakians and the public to amend Section 294 of the CPC.”
Voon pointed out that a heavier sentence could deter the crimes and would not open the floodgates for sexual abuse of children.
She also believed it would help prevent social ills such as unwanted pregnancies, unwed mothers and abandoned babies, which “are already a worrying concern in our society.”