2007 05: 60 years' jail and rotan for sodomy

The Star online. News. Courts. Saturday May 26, 2007

SHAH ALAM: A contractor was sentenced to 60 years in jail and 22 strokes of the rotan by two High Courts here after he pleaded guilty to sodomising a schoolboy a total of 22 times.

Abd Rahim Abd Rahaman, 35, was accused of committing the offences against the Form Three student at a Kuala Lumpur City Hall flat in Jalan Mutiara Gombak between April 18 and May 9 this year.

The bachelor from Kangar, Perlis, was sentenced by Judge Azimah Omar to 32 years in jail and given 12 strokes of the rotan for 12 counts of the charges.

Abd Rahim broke down and cried when asked by Azimah to make his appeal before sentencing.
“He was the one who asked for it, he did it together (with me), willingly. I don’t know what else to say,” said a weeping Abd Rahim.

He added that the victim, who was his acquaintance, came and stayed with him and refused to go home.

He also said the victim cuddled and seduced him.

“Although he had invited you, as an adult, you should have been firm and said no. As an adult, you should know the consequences because the law does not allow such an act,” Azimah said.

Earlier, Abd Rahim, who was unrepresented, was sentenced to 28 years in jail and 10 strokes of the rotan in another High Court for another 10 counts of the charges.

Judge Datin Zabariah Mohd Yusof ordered the sentence to start from the day Abd Rahim was arrested on May 16.

Abd Rahim appealed for a lighter sentenced, claiming it was the victim who started fondling him first.

“It wasn’t my fault alone,” he added.

He said he had to support two younger step-siblings who were still schooling.

During the proceedings at both courts, Abd Rahim was repeatedly asked by both judges if he still wanted to plead guilty after knowing the consequences.

He replied, “What I am to do? I admit.”

He also admitted that he had sodomised the boy at his house.

The victim lodged a police report at the Setapak police station following the incidents.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Hana Hadinah S Mohd Ghazali said Abd Rahim had a previous conviction in a drug related case in Sungai Petani, for which he was sentenced to six months in jail.

Pressing for a deterrent punishment, she said, as an adult he was supposed to protect the victim, who is still a young boy.