Sarawak lorry driver gets 10 years, whipping for impregnating teenager

Borneo Post reported that Safri Jaini pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping.

According to the facts of the case, the victim went to a clinic in Petra Jaya this month after experiencing abdominal discomfort and was found to be five months pregnant.

The girl informed medical personnel that she had sexual intercourse with Safri at a budget hotel in Batu Kawa last November. She was subsequently advised to lodge a police report, which led to his arrest.

Investigations found that the victim and Safri became acquainted last July and that he had persuaded her to engage in sexual intercourse at the same hotel in the middle of that month.

The victim eventually agreed and the pair then engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse almost every week. In September, the victim took a pregnancy test that was negative.

The pair last had sexual intercourse in November. The following month, the victim ceased contact with Safri and changed her phone number.

In January, the victim discovered she was pregnant after taking a pregnancy test. However, she only sought medical attention at a clinic in Petra Jaya this month after experiencing abdominal discomfort.

Safri, who was unrepresented, pleaded for leniency, citing his responsibility to his elderly parents and younger siblings.

However, deputy public prosecutor Chuah Kai Sheng urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, stressing that girls below the age of 16 are deemed by law to be incapable of consenting to sexual activity.

He also cited health ministry data showing that 21,114 pregnancies among unmarried teenagers aged 19 and below were recorded between 2019 and 2024.

The court also ordered Safri to undergo counselling during his imprisonment and to be placed under three years of police supervision upon release.