Filipino gets 10 years, 4 strokes for rape

Hasbi (right) escorted from court

KOTA KINABALU: A 19-year-old Filipino waiter was sent to prison for 10 years and ordered to get four strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to raping a 16-year-old local girl.

Hasbi Dani, who was brought before Sessions Court Judge Caroline Bee Majanil for trial, changed his pleas and admitted to committing the offence at the bushes in front of the public park in Likas Bay near here at 10pm on Nov 26, 2010.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Afzan Abd Kahar in presenting the facts of the case, told the court that the girl was waiting for a bus when an unknown man grabbed her by her neck from behind and dragged her into the bushes.

The man, later identified as Hasbi, threatened her not to scream and hit her abdomen and slapped her repeatedly until she passed out. According to the victim, when she regained her consciousness, she found her trousers had been pulled down to her knees.

Afzan said two of the girl's acquaintances who heard her cries for help went to the said place and found Hasbi on top of her trying to strangle her.

Hasbi tried to flee when he realised their presence but the duo managed to nab him. The girl, identified Hasbi during a police identification parade as the man who had raped her. Hasbi who was not represented, requested for a lenient sentence, saying he had repented.