BY Fadley Faisal

A 22-year-old local man, who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, was sentenced by the Magistrate’s Court on Monday to eight months’ jail with two canings.

Rafaie bin Muhd Ramli also admitted to DPP Raihan Nabilah Ahmad Ghazali’s facts of the case which revealed that the victim is an acquaintance of the defendant’s friend.

The court heard that the defendant and his friend picked up the victim from home in Kampong Lumut at 8pm on June 4 and later hung out at the Tutong Waterfront until 2am.

They sent the defendant’s friend home in Tutong District, planning to send the victim home next, while she was still seated in the back seat.

On the way to Kampong Lumut, the defendant stopped the car by the roadside on the Mumong Bypass, wound up the windows and went to the back seat.

The defendant asked the victim if they could have sex, but the victim rejected. He forcefully performed two sexual acts on the victim.

The victim told the defendant to let go of her, but to no avail as he continued to sexually assault her.

The defendant asked the victim a second time for sex, to which the victim replied only if he could pay her for it.

The victim knew the defendant had no money on him and came up with the idea if she was left alone, the defendant would send her home immediately.

The defendant returned to the driver’s seat and told the victim to move to the front passenger seat.

The defendant continued his attempts to coax the victim into giving in to his requests and to let him perform sexual acts on her. The victim stood her ground and continued rejecting him.

Frustrated, the defendant drove the victim home.

As they approached the victim’s home, she jumped out of the car to escape from the defendant.

By this time, the defendant realised the victim’s household members were waiting for her outside and saw the incident.

The defendant got scared and drove off immediately.

The victim and her family lodged a report at the Kuala Belait Police Station just before 4am, leading to the defendant’s arrest on September 15.

Magistrate Syafiq bin Haji Zakaria presided over the case.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin