Child rape
22 August 2008
Yesterday, Thimphu dzongkhag court’s Bench II had its first preliminary hearing on the case of a 14-year-old who was raped and impregnated by her 45 year-old step father along with battery charges.
The case was charge sheeted on Monday by the Women and Child Protection Unit, RBP.
The case has been registered under Section 183 on the offence of rape of a child above 12 years of age, along with a battery case under Section 158.
The girl was raped sometime last year at the age of 13 apby her step father and now at 14, she is 33 weeks pregnant.
The case has a twist. A case of wife battery was registered at the WCPU on July 11, but in the course of investigation, the police found the battered victim’s little daughter pregnant.
The minor used to live with her real father but that year, for her winter vacation, she had gone to live with her mother who is now married to the accused. Before the incident occurred, the mother had gone to Paro and it was then that the accused had coerced and raped his step daughter.
The mother was believed to have been unaware of the incident but learnt of it later when her child was carrying a child. The case was not reported as the accused was the sole bread earner and the mother never confronted him.
According to the WCPU, the mother had been battered by the accused several times in the past but it was only this time that the case was reported.
The WCPU referred the girl to the Thimphu hospital and, according to Dr Pakila Drukpa of the Forensic Unit, the girl risked chances of a high risk pregnancy as she was a minor and will have to come for internal check-up from time to time.
The girl was referred to RENEW on July 11 and the NGO has taken her under their wings and also in their shelter home. According to RENEW, the girl was doing fine and was going for regular checks to the hospital. The Officer in Charge of the WCPU, Lieutenant Karma Rigzin, said the child had practically been robbed of everything. “As a result of her pregnancy, she has been dropped out of school, which has also posed a risk to her life and, most of all, she has been robbed of her childhood.”
The OC said the girl initially seemed scared and reluctant to speak while being interviewed.
“A good measure for preventing such acts could be through advocacy and educating people. Having sexual intercourse with a minor is a crime so, when the crime is committed, ignorance cannot be used as an excuse. This is why, as a preventive measure, the RBP has started an advocacy programme in schools and we plan to later extend this programme nationwide,” said the OC.
According to the Penal Code of Bhutan, the grading of statuary rape (sex with a child below 12) is a felony of the second degree, which is punishable with an imprisonment term of between nine and 15 years.
Sexual intercourse with a child above 12 is graded under felony of the third degree, in which the sentencing will be an imprisonment term of between five and nine years. Child molestation is a felony of the fourth degree and the offence of sexual harassment is graded under petty misdemeanour.
“We see cases of minors being raped, sexually harassed and molested but most of these go unreported. Personally, it is very disturbing when cases like these come up,” said Lieutenant Karma Rigzin.
Cases of minors being raped have been increasing but the law does not dole out punishment more severe than the existing ones as the ultimatum.
It stresses more on reforming the guilty.
By Tashi Wangmo
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Loading ...Zakar for Friday July 30 2010
20th Day of the 06th Month - Iron Male Tiger Year
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this wretched old man should be imprisoned for life..he is a big threat to our society
Right Yangchey. I agree with you. In a recent article in the yahoo.com, I have read of a 62 year old man of Sydney meet a girl of 15 years in Melbourne through internte.She said she was 18 and the man said he was interested in girls even younger than that age.
The girl then disclosed her true age of 15 years. Not surprisingly, he still pressed on, met her and had consensual sex. He was supposed to have been able to judge her age when they met at Melbourne train station in a ruling by the judge. It is a strict liability and so it is not a defence to say that the girl consented or that he thought that the girl was 18 or more.
Thus, indeed our men must be punished heavily as per our law and 5 years minimum is indeed heavy. I warn our ladies though that our laws will not excuse our ladies for statutary rape if they sleep with our boys younger than 18 years. That is the majesty of law.
Hi Lt Karma Rinzin. Keep up the good work that you and your unit is diong. It is highly sanctifying that the Bhutanese women and children at least in our capital city of Thimphu gain full access to our modernised law effected by our Chief Justice of Bhutan, His Lordship Lyonpo Sonam Tobgay who was in turn inspired by our His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuk for such radical reforms in our laws.
this man must be sick… how could he do this thing to such a little girl.. he really needs to learn his lesson…he must be punished for what he did to the little girl.. he ruined the little girls life.. omg… common this is not fair…
The man should be punished i am in agree ment and the severity of the punishment will be severe as per our supreme law.
i am failing to understand what has happened to the mother, the mother was a party to it also. i have not known my mother but i had faith that a mother would be some one who takes care of you. when i read the news it shook tyhe faith i have on all mother and for a moment i was grateful for not having one. commiting a crime is an offence but being a party and letting it happen should also be looked at.
let it be a start that the law of the country should also look at those who sees it and not report it,are they not guilty?
i congractulate the people of Renew and the police specially Karma who in my eyes is the bench mark of what women should aspire to be.
just a thought though could she not be aborted under the order of the court and return her youth/childhood to her. her giving birth to a child is going to be an injustice to her and also the unborn i feel.
i do however appeal to all that do not be a pervert and if you see one in action let it be known for your consience will not allow you to sleep if you are normal
yes i would love to know who the man and the mother is. such people should be subjected to shame and humilation once the verdict of the court is passed so that the rest will think twice. do post a picture of the man and his wife so you will do a favour to the children who are liable to eb abused
How true it is! Those who live in a glass house should not through stone at others. This man’s glass house seems to have been totally shattered now.
He well deserves it. Let this man be meeted with the maximum punishment. Let him suffer this helish imprisonment because I can imagine how boring and torturing it would be to stay so idle for so long, rotting in a prison cell.
365 days in a year and several years behind the bar. His money cannot compound this grave offence as it is not permitted by our law.
Yes what you all says is right, let this man to suffer in the jail for his life. This brings our country dignity down. So do post the photo of this man, wife and the girl then we will know who they are. Its very shameful to our country.
hey sangay for what do you need the photo of the girl and the wift they are innocent, we can surly ask for the Photo of the animal kind man
i do agree with above people, infact he should be disgraced in the public. if there is law in bhutan we should slash his flesh and put salt on it.
i too agree with above people but sangay why to post the photo of wife and the girl as Tashi said they are innocent.They can post the photo of this man so everyone can know that evil man. This man should be punished Severely.
he should be given max…that is 9 years…
i 100% agree wit the above people… but who r u people to punished him… every body knows he is going to punished that is of sure….???? and he deserved it too
but dont worry god ll do it!!! court ll do it!!! and ofcourse law ll do it!!!!
if u people are so kind help the poor child… do some thing great ….so that nation can remember.. and make child not to remember the past…. let the animal man go …law is there… law ll do every thing for him…
forget abt him and help the poor child and prove that u all are really kind. lets see how helpful u all r????
help the poor child practically and physically…
dont just command, help her…. contribute her some thing….who ever helps her ll be GOD for me.
he should be given life imprisonment,,,,,,,,,,,,,make him struggle..that demon!!!!!!!!!
This man should go through every possible punishment that one can ever imagine….raping a child and that also his own step daughter..what a shame!let this man rot in the cell…..
this man is shameless and must be punished more than life imprisionment.