Four in family remanded over rape of own kin

KUCHING: Four male members of a family have been remanded for seven days for allegedly raping their relative, a 19-year-old girl.
Court registrar Dayang Roseline Awang Mahdini at the Samarahan magistrate’s court yesterday placed the victim’s grandfather, father and two uncles under remand to facilitate police investigations.
They were arrested at their house at Kampung Daha Seroban in Serian Division at 3.30pm on Friday.
The police took an hour to track down the suspects after a police report was made on the alleged multiple rapes of the victim over six years.
A medical check at Serian Hospital on the same day found out that the girl was 25 weeks pregnant.
The victim said she had sex with the four suspects at their house during the period.
She also claimed that her 14-year-old sister was also sexually assaulted by the four suspects since she was nine.
The case is being investigated under Section 376B of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to 30 years and whipping upon conviction.
State Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said the 19-year-old would be placed in a convent in Serian while a court order would be obtained tomorrow to place her sister at Rumah Kanak-Kanak.
“Following investigation and discussion with the JKM (Welfare Department) in Serian and the doctor (who attended to the victim), we have decided that the younger girl needs to be provided with protection. A court order will be produced on Monday to place her at Rumah Kanak Kanak Toh Puan Norkiah.
“The 19-year-old girl will be placed at an NGO (non-governmental organisation)-run facility, the Convent Serian,” the minister said yesterday.
Fatimah also urged other victims of incest to report to the authorities.
“Victims of incest are normally reluctant to report because the perpetrator is a family member. They keep it to themselves for fear of repercussion from the perpetrator, or other next-of-kin,” she said.