Man Jailed 16 Years for Raping Minor Sister-in-Law Until Six Months Pregnant

The Sessions Court here today sentenced a palm harvester to 16 years in jail and six strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to two charges of raping his underage sister-in-law, which resulted in her becoming six months pregnant.

Judge Mohd Khairi Haron handed down the decision after taking into account the 39-year-old accused’s guilty plea and the mitigation presented.

During the proceedings, the court imposed a sentence of eight years in prison and three strokes of the cane for each charge. However, the court ordered the prison sentences to run concurrently, resulting in an effective term of 16 years and six strokes of the cane.

Additionally, the court ordered the accused to undergo counseling for one year and be placed under police supervision for two years immediately after serving his sentence. This is in accordance with Sections 26 and 27 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (SOACA) 2017.

Details of the Charges

The father of two faced two charges.

1. First Charge: He was accused of raping his 13-year-old sister-in-law at a house in Kluang at around 1 a.m. in March of this year.
2. Second Charge: He was again accused of committing the same act against the victim at a different house at 12:01 a.m. on August 31.

The accused was charged under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in jail and whipping for each charge.

The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Diyana Najihah Muhamed Fauzi, while the accused was unrepresented by counsel.

Facts of the Case

Based on the facts of the case, the police received a report from the victim, who informed her mother that she had been repeatedly raped by her brother-in-law. Police investigation revealed the incidents occurred at two different houses.

The victim revealed that the accused had threatened her not to tell anyone after the incidents, causing her to remain silent out of fear. Following the report, the police successfully arrested the accused on the same day the report was lodged, September 24, to assist with the investigation.