He’d rather die than be arrested

Man, 54, suspected of incest with grandchild dies before his arrest

Man suspected of raping step-granddaughter commits suicide before police could catch him.

A 54-year-old man was frothing at the mouth and semi-conscious when police moved into a hut to arrest him for allegedly raping his 14-year-old step-granddaughter.

The team rushed him to the Sri Aman Hospital but he died yesterday at 5am, said Sarawak CID Chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Dev Kumar.

SAC Dev said the Sri Aman Hospital tried to save the suspect and was preparing to rush him to the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching but he died. The suspect was believed to have consumed pesticide in a hut in a padi field.

The rape of the 14-year-old schoolgirl came to light on Sept 21 when Sri Aman Hospital alerted the police about the girl who injured her back after she jumped from the first floor of her hostel.

“Medical officers found she was five weeks pregnant.

“Social welfare officers who interviewed her later learnt that she had tried to commit suicide by jumping off the hostel.

“She revealed her step-grandfather had raped her twice in August.

“Police investigation found that her step-grandfather had raped her in the padi field hut and again in his house,” said SAC Dev.

Meanwhile, Sarawak State Minister for Welfare, Women and Community Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said the girl was safe.

“She is being given the necessary medical attention and counselling.

“The fact that she tried to kill herself showed how desperate she was.

“This is very serious. It is a wake up call to all of us as to the harm such incidents of rape and incest can cause to these young girls,” she said.

Fatimah said her ministry is working with stakeholders to tackle incest and rapes in Sarawak.