10 years for raping teenage girlfriend By Safrah Mat Salleh
KOTA KINABALU: A selfemployed youth was sentenced to 10 years in jail by the Sessions Court here yesterday for raping his teenage girlfriend.
Judge Noor Hafizah Mohd Salim imposed the sentence on Shamudin Masrin and ordered him to serve the sentence starting from his date of arrest on September 14.
Shamudin, 20, raped the 15year-old girl in bushes by the roadside at Jalan Kampung Serusup, Tuaran on September 14 this year.
He was charged under Section 375(g) of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 376(1) of the same Code.
The indictment carries a jail term of between eight years and 30 years, and whipping, on conviction.
Earlier, the court was told by an officer from the Welfare Department, who tendered the accused’s probation report, that the accused’s parents had divorced.
Then, the accused’s uncle took him under his care ever since the divorce and the accused helped his uncle in fish farming business.
In mitigation, Shamudin, who was not represented prayed for a lenient sentence on the grounds that he is a first time offender.
He said that he would not commit a similar offence in the future.
In reply, deputy public prosecutor Dinesh Raja requested for appropriate sentence to be imposed against the accused.
Based on the facts, two teachers from the victim’s school had visited the her house and met her mother (the complainant).
The teachers told the complainant that the victim did not come to school and a student saw the victim riding on a motorcycle with a guy (the accused).
Then, the complainant told her husband and he went to find the victim at about 2pm.
The victim’s father found the victim walking home and saw a blood stain on her skirt.
He asked her about the accused and she admitted that she had sex with her boyfriend, who is the accused, and the accused went to a jetty.
The victim’s father went to the jetty and caught the accused who was still there waiting for a boat to come.
The accused was brought to Tuaran police station for further action.
Investigation revealed that the accused admitted that he had sexual intercourse with the victim three times in the bushes by the roadside in Kampung Serusup.