MUAR: A man, who is set to get married next month, pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court here today for raping an underage acquaintance, resulting in the birth of a baby two years ago.
The accused Mohamad Haidil Haiqal Abdullah, 20, accompanied by his fiancee, pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read before Judge Abu Bakar Manat.
According to the charge, Haidil who works on an oil palm plantation, was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl at a house in Kluang, with the incident occurring between May and November 2022.
He was charged under Section 376 (1) of the Penal Code, which provides an imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping if convicted.
Deputy public prosecutor Danial Munir prosecuted, while the accused was unrepresented.
Earlier, the prosecution informed the court that the victim had already given birth in May, a week after being arrested by the police on April 30 last year.
Based on the results of a DNA test on the baby born to the victim, it matched with the accused's.
"In this case, the victim is still underage and this offence is serious. The prosecution requests the court not to grant bail to the accused," said Danial.
After hearing the prosecution's argument, the court decided not to allow bail for the accused.
The court also set Feb 27 for the case facts, sentencing, and the social report from the Social Welfare Department, considering the accused is a young offender.