KOTA KINABALU: A 27-year-old carwash worker has been sentenced to nine years in jail and three strokes of the cane for raping an underage girl.
Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus on Wednesday delivered the verdict to Khairul Nizam Pilok after finding him guilty of the rape charge.
The court determined that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt against Khairul.
The offence occurred between 10pm on May 5, 2023, and 5am on May 6, 2023, at a house in Sipitang, involving a 14-year-old girl who later gave birth to a child.
Khairul, who was unrepresented, sought leniency during mitigation, expressing remorse and claiming the act was consensual.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Shafeerah Mad Iskim pressed for a severe sentence, highlighting the defendant's prolonged trial and the victim's resulting pregnancy and childbirth.
The prosecution emphasised the lasting trauma inflicted on the victim and the necessity of protecting children from sexual offences through robust legal deterrents.
