Protect your Wives, Daughters, Mothers, Sisters

Illegal gets 21 years and cane for raping Malaysian

SINGAPORE: An Indian national who dragged a screaming Malaysian woman into a rubbish area and raped her was jailed 21 years and ordered to be given the maximum 24 strokes of the cane, a news report said yesterday.

Justice V.K. Rajah rebuked V. Murugesan, 28, for showing contempt for all norms of civilised behaviour and said a “draconian” sentence was warranted, according to The Straits Times.

Murugesan, an illegal immigrant, and an Indian accomplice abducted the woman on March 5, 2004 and forced her into the enclosed area.

The victim's screams alerted residents in nearby apartments, who called the police.

The two escaped after taking turns attacking the woman, the report said, but were captured more than two weeks later.

The Indian accomplice, Manikkam, 30, was earlier sentenced to 14 years' jail and 10 strokes of the cane.

The judge said Murugesan “orchestrated the incident” and needed to be punished severely for both retribution and deterrence of others.

“Rape is one of the most heinous and vile crimes,” leaving victims with “permanent emotional scars,” Justice Rajah was quoted as saying. – dpa

From thestar.com.my
23 apr 2005