TAWAU: Police have arrested a foreign man for raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter in a house in an oil palm plantation near Merotai here on March 7.
Tawau District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Jasmin Hussin said the 32-year-old suspect was arrested at 9.50 pm on Saturday.
The suspect was apprehended within 24 hours after a report was lodged by the victim's family member at the Desa Kencana Police Station in Lahad Datu, at around 12.01 am on the same day.
"Based on the report, the victim, who had been living with the suspect since March 5, told her sister who lived in Felda Sahabat 20, Lahad Datu, about the rape incident via WhatsApp.
"The victim claimed that she was raped by the suspect on March 7 and was also threatened with physical harm if she told anyone about the incident," he said when contacted here this morning.
Jasmin said that acting on the report, a police team from the Bombalai Police Station raided a privately-owned oil palm plantation in Kampung Iban, Merotai at 9.50 pm.
He said the suspect would be brought to the Tawau magistrate's court this morning for a remand order application to assist further investigations under Section 376 of the Penal Code and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
"The victim will be referred to Tawau Hospital for further examination."