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The Sessions Court sentenced a 30-year-old Timorese national to 10 years in prison and two strokes of the cane for the rape of a 15-year-old girl he met through the social media platform TikTok
Judge Monica Linsua passed the sentence after the accused, Rafinus Bata Tukan, pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 376(2)(d) of the Penal Code yesterday, 26 February, in Kota Kinabalu.
The court ordered the custodial sentence to run from the date of Rafinus's arrest on 19 December 2025. Additionally, he is to be referred to the Immigration Department for deportation upon the completion of his prison term.
The incident came to light following a missing person's report filed by the victim's father on 7 December last year
Investigations revealed that the teenager had left her home on 6 December to meet the accused, whom she had known for approximately one month via TikTok.
The court heard that the victim was taken on a motorcycle to the accused's rented room in Inanam. It was there, at approximately 7pm on 7 December, that the assault occurred.
Medical examinations later conducted on the minor provided forensic evidence that supported her account of the rape.
Under Section 376(2)(d) of the Penal Code, the offense carries a heavy penalty of between 10 and 30 years in prison, along with mandatory whipping
Rafinus, who was unrepresented during the proceedings, faced prosecution led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Shaferrah Mad Iskim.
