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KOTA KINABALU, December 30 – A man, who pleaded not guilty in Sessions Court today to a charge of raping a teenage girl, claimed that he had married the girl and admitted that a small boy is his son.
The young man who appeared before Judge Noor Hafizah Mohd Salim, was charged with raping the 16-year-old victim in a room of a house in Kinarut in March 2019.
The defendant was charged under Section 376 of the Penal Code, which provides a jail term of up to 20 years and lashing, after conviction.
Previously, the unrepresented defendant who works as a truck driver’s assistant had admitted the charges, but later retracted his plea to one of not guilty after learning that the prosecution did not offer any bond.
The prosecution had objected to bail, claiming that the defendant was allegedly staying under the same roof as the victim.
The prosecution argued that there was a strong possibility that the defendant manipulated the key prosecution witness.
However, the defendant insisted that he had allegedly married the victim and admitted that the boy is his son.
The defendant also asked in court that he not be separated from his family and claimed to have been a responsible person in feeding his family.
The court set January 19, 2021 to handle the case before trial and the defendant was denied bail.
You will remain in custody until your case is resolved. – Borneo Post
