A burger vendor in Johor earned himself a rare rebuke from the judge after he claimed trial to a charge of raping a 12-year-old girl and requested for a lower bail amount.
Mohamad Akhil Yusuf, 24, was accused of raping the girl in a parked car in Tangkak at 3am on May 29.
Police reports also revealed that he had known the victim for only a day before taking her out and stopping his vehicle near her home.
The alleged rape came to light after the victim’s mother stumbled upon explicit messages on her daughter’s phone, which led to a police report being lodged on June 3 and Mohamad Akhil’s arrest on Aug 7.
He was charged under Section 376 (1) of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of between 10 and 30 years and whipping upon conviction.
‘It’s no misstep’
In court, Mohamad Akhil, who was unrepresented, pleaded not guilty to the charge and asked for a lower bail amount.
This didn’t sit well with judge Emelia Kaswati Mohamad Khalid, who said:
If it’s something like this (rape), it isn’t a misstep. You already knew it was a crime, so why do it? Now you’ve brought trouble upon your parents.”
Bail was then set at RM8,000.
The court also ordered Mohamad Akhil to report to the nearest police station on the first Monday of every month and barred him from contacting the victim or her family, including through social media.
The case has been fixed for mention on Sept 17 for document submission and the appointment of a lawyer.
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