A 53-year-old monk was found guilty today (31 October) by the Sessions Court of raping a 12-year-old girl (at the time of the incident) at an oil palm plantation in Johor four years ago and has been sentenced to prison.
According to Berita Harian, the monk allegedly committed the crime under the pretence of “changing the course of the victim’s life” and was handed a 15-year prison term along with four strokes of the cane.
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He claimed a dream told him to help the girl escape a life of hardship
Previously, the monk reportedly met the girl’s family, claiming he had a dream instructing him to help her move from a life of hardship to one of prosperity.
He then took the victim, supposedly for a ritual, but instead brought her to an oil palm plantation and raped her. The girl later returned home and told her parents about the incident before a police report was filed.
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Judge Harmi Thamri Mohamad delivered the verdict after the accused, Pechimuthu Vethumalay, who was celebrating his birthday today, failed to provide any reasonable doubt to challenge the prosecution’s case.
When delivering the verdict, Judge Harmi Thamri noted that the accused’s defence amounted mostly to a bare denial and seemed more like an afterthought.
Pechimuthu Vethumalay
He is also ordered to undergo counselling while in jail
The accused was charged with raping a student at an oil palm plantation along Jalan Yong Peng-Labis, Yong Peng, at around 3 PM on 28 September 2021.
“The court finds the accused guilty of the amended charge under Section 376(2)(d) of the Penal Code. He is sentenced to 15 years in prison and four strokes of the cane, with the sentence effective immediately,” the judge said.
Section 376(2)(d) of the Penal Code carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and mandates caning if convicted.
On top of the prison term, the court ordered the accused to undergo counselling while in jail and to remain under police supervision for two years after completing his sentence.
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Also read: 12yo Girl Raped by 2 Men After Sneaking Out of Kedah Religious School at 2 AM to Watch Illegal Race
