Rape...rape...rape

Rapist gets 14 years,
14 strokes
QURATUL-AIN BANDIAL
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Friday, January 21, 2011
AN army officer was sentenced
to 14 years and 14 strokes of the
cane after he raped a 13-year-old
girl he befriended through an
Internet chat program.
Hj Redzuan Kifli, 27, was
convicted by the High Court last
month under Section 376 (2) of
the Penal Code, which attracts a
maximum sentence of 30 years
in jail.
According to court documents,
the defendant befriended the
victim online, and used a chat
program to obtain her address
and went on to break into her
home and rape her. During the
assault, the defendant forced the
girl to perform sexual acts on
him and punched and slapped
her. He also threatened to kill her
if she told anyone about the
rape.
"The Internet is a tool that can be
used for good or evil. This case is
an example where it was used
for evil... It highlights the need
for our young to be educated
both at home and in schools on
the dangers that lurk when they
go online," said High Court
Justice Dato Paduka Steven
Chong.
During the sentencing hearing,
counsel for the defendant urged
the court to impose the
minimum sentence of eight years
and 12 strokes of the cane, due
to a number of factors, chief
among them the defendant's
clear record and the fact that he
had "changed tremendously"
turning into a responsible
husband and father and good
Muslim, according to the
testimony of his two wives.
Defence counsel stated that a
long prison term would bring
significant hardship to his family
as well as embarrassment and
humiliation.
However, the high court judge
said imposing the minimum
sentence in this case would not
be appropriate having regard to
a number of aggravating factors,
such as the defendant's breaking
into the victim's home to rape
her, assaulting her and
threatening to kill her.
"As for the defendant's feeling of
embarrassment and humiliation
due to this conviction, it is the
result of his own misdeed and I
do not think he should expect
any sympathy from the court,"
said Justice Chong.
The Brunei Times