BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: A 36-year-old Bruneian man was sentenced by the High Court to 27 years’ imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane after being convicted of raping his 10-year-old daughter, according to a press release from the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).
The sentence was handed down on Tuesday following a trial before Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court Muhammed Faisal Kefli.
The accused was convicted of rape under Section 376(3)(c) of the Penal Code (Chapter 22).
Investigations by the Women and Children Abuse Investigation Unit of the Royal Brunei Police Force revealed that the offence took place at the family’s home in September 2024.
Following the incident, the victim disclosed the abuse to her maternal aunt, who subsequently lodged a report with the authorities.
At the conclusion of the trial, the Judicial Commissioner found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the defendant.
In its sentencing submissions, the prosecution highlighted several aggravating factors, including the victim’s young age and vulnerability, the fact that the offence was committed in the family home, and the defendant’s position as the child’s biological father, which constituted a grave breach of parental trust and authority.
The court said these aggravating factors were reflected in the sentence imposed.
The Judicial Commissioner also observed that the defendant had shattered the sense of safety inherent in the parent-child relationship and inflicted significant trauma on the victim.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Mu’izzah Sabli on behalf of the Public Prosecutor. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
