Duo jailed 18 years for gang raping teen

KOTA KINABALU: Two men were sentenced to 18 years’ jail for gang raping a 17-year-old girl in a lodging house in Beaufort two years ago.

Sessions Court judge Azreena Aziz imposed the custodial sentence on Sudirman Mahyuddin and Kamaruddin Amir, aged 35, after finding them guilty at the end of a full trial, yesterday.

In her ruling, she held that the prosecution had successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the duo of the said charge.

The two accused persons had committed the offence against the teenager at the lodging house in Beaufort between 11pm on September 4, 2017 and 6am on September 5, 2017.

They had committed an offence charged under Section 375B of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of between 10 and 30 years, and whipping, upon conviction.

Fourteen prosecution witnesses were produced throughout the trial.

In mitigation, the accused persons, who were not represented, said it was their first offence.

Kamaruddin, who worked as a cybercafe attendant, said he has to support a son and a grandmother, while Sudirman, who was a lorry driver, said he has a responsibility to his only child who is still schooling.

Deputy public prosecutor Dinesh Raja, however urged for a deterrent sentence to be imposed against the accused persons due to the seriousness of the offence.

The court also ordered the men to serve the jail sentence from the date of their arrest on September 6, 2017.