RANAU: A local man was jailed for eight years and ordered to be given three strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court for raping a woman two years ago.
Judge Caroline Bee Majanil found Jais Nasir, 45, guilty of raping the 27-year-old woman at a lodging house in Ranau on July 11, 2008.
Caroline, in her reserved judgement, held that the undefended accused failed to raise any reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s case.
Jais who claims to be a shaman, was tried under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code which provides for up to 30 years’ jail and whipping.
Earlier, Jais pleaded for a lenient sentence, saying that he has a wife, four biological children and five stepchildren.
Jais also said he is the sole breadwinner and added that he is only human who cannot run away from mistakes.
Deputy public prosecutor Afzan Abd Kahar urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence as Jais had committed a serious crime.
“There is a judicial notice of the number of cases with the same kind of facts that the victims were raped by men or so-called bomoh (medicine man) or spiritual healer,” said Afzan.
She added that a heavier sentence would serve as a lesson to would-be offenders from committing the similar offence. Afzan had called 13 witnesses to testify against Jais before closing the prosecution’s case on June 16 this year.