KUCHING (May 21): A labourer was sentenced to six years in prison by the Sessions Court here yesterday after he pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl whom he befriended through a mobile chat application.
Judge Maris Agan also imposed two lashes of the cane on Iskandar Lasot, 37, after convicting him under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code.
According to the charge sheet, the man was accused of raping the victim between Feb 21 and 22 this year, near a prawn farm at Jalan Rambungan, Lundu.
During yesterday’s trial, the accused told the court that the victim was his girlfriend and that they had formed a relationship since January this year.
He also told the court that the victim had intended to run away from home on four different occasions.
However, the judge told the accused that instead of taking advantage of the victim, he should instead protect her and send her home.
In mitigation, the accused plead not to be given a heavy sentence on grounds that he is the breadwinner of his family.
The crime came to light after the victim’s mother lodged a police report based on a hunch that the pair had engaged in sexual intercourse on the day the victim met the accused.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ruthra Raj prosecuted while the accused was not represented.