KOTA KINABALU: Two teenage boys were on Thursday (Oct 3) charged in the Tawau Magistrate’s Court for the gang rape of a 12-year-old girl on a farm in the East Coast district last week.
However, no plea was taken from the boys, aged 13 and 14, after the charges were read to them before Tawau Court Assistant Registrar Mohd Afiz Huzairi Ayob who was sitting in on behalf of the Magistrate.
According to the charges, the boys were accused of committing the act on a farm behind an unnumbered house in a village at Jalan Utara at about 9.40pm on Sept 26.
The charge was framed under Section 376(2)(e) of the Penal Code which was read together with Section 34 of the same Code which provides a jail term of not less 10 years and not more than 30 years, and whipping.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Batrisyia Mohd Khusri, who appeared for the prosecution, did not offer any bail for both the accused who were not represented.
The boys’ guardians were present in court.
The court then fixed Nov 21 for the next mention of the case before Magistrate Dayang Aidaku Amira Aminuddin.
It was previously reported that police had on Monday (Sept 30) detained three boys for allegedly gang-raping a girl.
Tawau deputy OCPD Supt Champin Piuh had said the arrests were made after a report was lodged by the girl’s mother over the alleged incident.
It was learned that only two of the suspects were charged as the third has been made a witness for the prosecution.
