By Tedong Rantayy
MIRI, March 29: A 17-year-old boy charged with the rape of his 14-year-old girlfriend appeared before the Miri Magistrates’ Court on March 28.
The court directed that he remain in custody at the Tunas Bakti Rehabilitation School in Kuching until his trial, scheduled for April 19.
Magistrate Ashok Lingam presided over the hearing, imposing bail conditions of RM5,000 along with two local guarantors. However, the bail terms were not fulfilled, resulting in the suspect’s continued detention.
The allegations stemmed from an incident involving the victim, who gave birth to a baby boy at the maternity ward of Miri General Hospital on March 19.
According to court documents, the victim’s father lodged a police report on March 19, leading to the suspect’s arrest the following day by the Criminal Investigation Department of Miri District Police Headquarters. He was taken into custody at Miri Central Police Station.
Initial investigations revealed that the suspect and victim had been acquainted since 2022 and had been romantically involved since 2024.
The victim’s mother reportedly learned of her daughter’s pregnancy only days prior to the birth, following the victim’s admission of the situation.
The suspect faces charges under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which criminalises rape. — DayakDaily
