Man acquitted of raping 14-year-old Kinarut girl

KOTA KINABALU: A 22-year-old man was discharged and acquitted of raping a teenage girl.

Sessions Court judge Noor Hafizah Mohd Salim made the decision on Shahariezuladie Johari when the case came up for decision at the end of defence stage yesterday.

In her ruling, she held that the defence managed to raise reasonable doubt in the case during the defence stage.

Shahariezuladie was accused of raping the 14-year-old girl at a house in a village in Kinarut between 11pm on February 13 and 7am on February 14, last year.

The alleged offence, framed under Section 375(g) of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 376(1) of the same Code, carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping, upon conviction.

Six witnesses were called during the prosecution stage while two witnesses were produced in the defence stage.

Shahariezuladie was defended by counsel Adelia Adnan, Jamadi Saleh and Irwan John Imbayan.

In another case, the same court set July 30 this year for decision on the case of a 45-year-old former athletics coach charged with two counts of raping a teenager.

The judge fixed the date on Mohamad Hassan Rivera, who was alleged to have raped a 15-year-old girl.

On the first count, he was alleged to have committed the offence at a house in Papar at 11pm on March 18, 2018.

For the second count, he was alleged to have raped the teenager in a hostel room at the sports complex here between 7pm and 8pm on March 24, 2018.

Throughout the trial, five prosecution witnesses and six defence witnesses were called.

Counsel Pg Amli Noraufe Datuk Pg Nohin defended Mohamad Hassan.

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