KOTA KINABALU: The Sessions Court here yesterday sentenced a security guard to 10 years in jail for the statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl.
Azrin Bakri, 21, pleaded guilty before judge Azhaniz Teh Azman Teh to committing the offence on September 10 last year at 2.30pm inside the restroom of a car wash in Jalan Sepanggar, Menggatal.
The undefended Azrin was charged under Section 376 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
The facts of the case stated that the accused was a friend of the victim’s brother.
Azrub and the victim’s brother were drinking liquor before the accused took the victim to the restroom and raped her.
The accused pleaded for leniency, telling the court that he was a first-time offender and promised not to repeat the same mistake again.
He also promised to marry the victim who had given birth to a baby in June and genetically identified as his.
However, deputy public prosecutor Nartiah F. Mirchelle Sambatan urged the court to impose the maximum penalty due to the age of the victim, the severity of the crime and the fact that the victim had become pregnant as a result of the incident.
She also urged the court to take into account the frequency of such cases and the interest of the public.