Four men, including a foreign national, have been arrested for allegedly gang-raping a 14-year-old girl at a house in Lahad Datu.
The suspects, all in their 20s, are accused of carrying out the assault at around 2am on May 9. A police report was later lodged after the incident came to the attention of the victim’s family.
Lahad Datu District Police Chief, Dzulbaharin Ismail, said initial investigations revealed that the incident occurred while the victim was sleeping alone in her bedroom.
“The suspects allegedly entered the room and forced the victim to engage in sexual acts one after another.
“The victim only lodged a police report after the incident was discovered by her family members,” he said in a statement on Tuesday night.
Dzulbaharin said the case is being investigated under Section 375B of the Penal Code for gang rape, an offence that carries a prison sentence of up to 30 years and whipping upon conviction.
“All four suspects have been remanded for seven days to assist in the investigation,” he said.
He also advised parents and family members to closely monitor their children’s social circles and activities to help prevent them from becoming involved in unhealthy social behaviour and other social problems.
