Seven get jail, rotan for raping teens

KOTA BARU: Seven men, including a 17-year-old, were sentenced by the sessions court here yesterday to between 18 and 22 years' jail and six to 16 lashes of the rotan after they were found guilty of taking turns to rape two girls aged 15 and 17 in Ketereh three years ago.
Sessions court judge Hakim Adli Ab Ghaib sentenced the men after finding that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt.
Muhmed Azroel Hassan, 26; Mohamad Faiz Azahan, 24; and Che Azuan Che Hassan, 32, were sentenced to 22 years' jail and 16 lashes of the rotan, while Eris Che Azmi, 21, and Che Muhamad Farhan Isyrif Che Mat, 21, received 22 years' jail and eight lashes.
Two others, Muhamad Adib Che Harun, 20, and the 17-year-old were sentenced to 18 years' jail and six lashes.
According to the charge, six of them were accused of raping the two victims in the presence of others at an empty house at Kampung Hutan Pasir between 7.30pm and 11pm on May 20, 2014.
Muhmed Azroel, Mohamad Faiz and Che Azuan were charged with raping both victims while Eris, Che Muhamad Farhan Isyrif and the 17-year-old were charged with raping the then 17-year-old girl.
All the accused were charged under Section 376 (2) (c) of the Penal Code, that provides for a jail term of up to 30 years and whipping.
Muhamad Adib was charged with raping the then 15-year-old at another location between 2am and 3.30am on May 21, 2014.
Deputy public prosecutor Siti Hajar Alias prosecuted while all the accused were represented by Zuhaidie Akmal Hasan Basri, Mohd Zubairi Salleh and Nik Nazhriq Nik Nazman.