Young people accused of raping underage girl avoid jail time

SEREMBAN: A 20-year-old student has been sentenced to 240 hours of community service after pleading guilty in the Sessions Court to raping his underage girlfriend.

Judge Surita Budin ordered the student, who was 19 when the rape occurred, to complete the sentence within two years.

The suspect, who was then a handyman, was accused of raping the 13-year-old girl in a Port Dickson hotel room on May 15 around 3 p.m.

He was charged under Article 376(1) of the Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years and lashes.

“After considering mitigating circumstances by the defense, reviewing evidence before the court and the social report from the Ministry of Social Welfare, the court finds that the prison sentence and flogging in this case are inappropriate,” she said.

Surita also ordered the student to provide collateral of RM5,000 with one surety to ensure he completes the community service within the given period.

She said if the suspect failed to complete the sentence, he could be brought back to court to face the same charges.

“You must also report to the nearest police station on the first of every month and attend counseling sessions organized by the Welfare Department,” she said.

Earlier, his counsel Kartikeyan Supramaniam requested that the suspect undergo community service because he was a young offender.

He said the victim was the suspect’s girlfriend and that he had not harmed her.

‘He has promised to take a new path after enrolling in a university program here.

“My client is remorseful and has promised never to repeat this mistake,” he said, adding that the student had never been in trouble with the law before being charged with the crime.

Kartikeyan said that since the suspect is a young offender, he should be given the opportunity to continue his studies for a better future.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Balkis Zunandi asked the court to impose a sentence commensurate with the crime.