MUAR: A Form 3 student appeared before the magistrate's court here today to face three charges of sneaking into a house and raping a teenage girl since May.
The 15-year-old accused pleaded not guilty after the interpreter read the charges in front of magistrate Suzana Mokhtar.
According to the first charge, he allegedly raped the 15-year-old girl in a house in the district on Sept 25 at 9am.
For the second and third charges, he was accused of committing the same act against the victim at 8.30am in May and June of this year, with all three incidents occurring in the same location.
The accused was charged under Section 376 (1) of the Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and caning for each charge if found guilty.
Based on a report lodged by the victim's father, the incidents occurred while the girl's family was away from home due to work.
The accused reportedly sneaked into the victim's house before raping her. However, his actions came to light when he was confronted by the victim's father.
The victim's father lodged a report at the Muar district police headquarters on Sept 25. The accused was arrested on the same day.
Deputy public prosecutor Nur Aqilah Mohd Rofaie led the prosecution, while the accused did not have legal representation.
Following the accused's plea of not guilty, the court set Nov 19 for case mention, document submission and appointment of the accused's lawyer.
The court also allowed the accused to be released on bail of RM5,000 for all three charges. However, his family failed to pay the bail and he was taken to the Muar Correctional Centre for temporary detention.