KLANG: A 14-year-old who staged her own abduction pleaded guilty at the magistrate's court today to giving false information on her abduction last week.
However, magistrate Nur Asma Ahmad did not pass sentence today as the case involved a juvenile and the punishment needed to be in accordance with the Child Act.
Clad in green prison clothing, with her 30-year-old mother standing beside her outside of the dock, the form-three student admitted to faking her abduction by claiming that she had been kidnapped by a group of men.
She committed the offence at 9.12am on Dec 29 last year, in Bandar Sultan Suleiman near here.
Deputy public prosecutor Syed Farid Syed Ali proposed RM5,000 bail saying that there was a possibility that the juvenile offender would abscond.
"She was a wanted person when she was caught by police and even though she was aware of the fact that the police were looking for her, she did not turn in," he said adding that the case was of public interest.
The girl's counsel Nur Aida Md Zainuddin pleaded for a lower bail asking the court to consider the young offender's family's financial position.
"RM5,000 is a rather high amount considering the juvenile's parents' income. Her mother is a factory worker while her father is self-employed with no fixed income.
"She is the eldest and has three more siblings who are still in school," she said adding that the family had to use a lot of money on the children's school expenditure.
The magistrate then allowed RM1,500 with both the girl's parents as sureties and ordered her to report to the nearest police station once every two weeks.
She fixed Jan 14 for mention pending case facts and a probation report.
In the same court, the girl's 19-year-old abductor, Gan Chin Teck was charged with taking her away without consent from her parents.
The youth, who is a blacksmith, pleaded not guilty to committing the offence near the same place on Dec 12 last year.
In pleading for minimum bail, his counsel Ian Sampson said he believed that Gan will not abscond as he was working with his father who will also be bailing him out.
"The RM8,000 bail amount proposed is rather excessive. My client is working with his father and I believe that he will be present in each proceeding," said the lawyer.
The court then fixed RM5,000 bail with one surety and set March 3 for mention.
Meanwhile, a 17-year-old school dropout was charged with raping the same girl two years ago.
He pleaded not guilty to committing the offence but no plea was recorded as he was not accompanied by a guardian during the proceeding.
The juvenile offender told the court that his family members were not aware of the fact that he was being charged today.
"They know about the incident as I was arrested at home and both my parents were there at that time but they did not come and visit me afterwards," he said.
He added that he was about to register for school after being suspended since Jan 6, last year.
The boy was charged with committing the offence near the same area in Dec 2014.
Nur Asma fixed tomorrow (Thursday) for mention for his parents to appear in court while setting the bail at RM2,000 with both his parents as sureties.
She also ordered the juvenile offender to report to the nearest police station once in two weeks if he is bailed out.