Lorry driver gets 10 years’ jail, 6 strokes for statutory rape resulting in 15yo girl’s pregnancy

File photo for illustration purposes only. Photo: succo/Pixabay

By Dorcas Ting

KUCHING, June 23: A 28-year-old lorry driver has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and six strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here after pleading guilty to statutory rape involving a 15-year-old girl.

Judge Noorhisham Mohd Jaafar ordered the sentence to commence from the date of the man’s arrest on June 15.

Under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, the offence carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and whipping. Alongside his prison term, the court ordered the offender to undergo rehabilitation counselling while incarcerated and placed him under police supervision for three years post-release, in accordance with Sections 26 and 27 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (SOACA) 2017.

The case came to light on June 8, 2026, when the teenager sought medical attention at a clinic for abdominal discomfort. A medical examination revealed she was five months pregnant.

Because the victim was under the legal age of consent when the pregnancy occurred, the attending doctor advised her to lodge a police report.

Following an investigation by the Padawan District Police Headquarters’ Criminal Investigation Department, the accused was apprehended on June 15.

Court facts revealed that the victim and the accused met in July 2025 while she was working at a local coffee shop. Later that month, the man persuaded her to accompany him to a budget hotel, where the first sexual assault occurred.

The abuse continued repeatedly until November 2025, after which the victim severed ties with him and changed her phone number. A pregnancy test she took in January this year yielded a positive result.

The accused, who was unrepresented by legal counsel, pleaded for a lighter sentence, stating he was responsible for supporting his elderly parents and six siblings.

However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Chuah Kai Sheng urged the court to hand down a severe punishment, emphasising that statutory rape laws exist precisely because minors under 16 lack the legal capacity to consent. — DayakDaily