The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The case of a 24-year-old woman who was gang raped by her male colleagues on the evening of January 23 has been forwarded to the Wangduephodrang court on March 14 by the Office of Attorney General (OAG).
The 23-year-old man, who was one of the suspects arrested in the case, has been charged for the offence of gang rape.
The Penal Code of Bhutan reads a gang rape is when two or more persons engage in raping another person. The crime of gang rape is a third degree felony with a prison term of five to nine years.
However, the other suspect is still at large and so OAG has not yet framed charges against him, a source revealed.
Of the two accused one is a 23-year-old man working as a machine operator for a construction firm, from Dagana who was arrested from his home in Bajothang the very next day after the incident. While the other absconding accused is a 25-year- old man from Sarpang, a cook by occupation working with the victim.
The victim was taken to the Wangduephodrang hospital on the evening of January 23 after she was discovered in an unconscious and semi-naked state by her employer in Bajothang.
The 24-year old victim, working as a cook told police that on the unfortunate evening, she along with her two male friends had gone to a bar for some drinks after work.
During the drinking session, the victim had drunk so much that she got drunk while the two suspects were in a semi-drunken state.
After that what had happened and how it had happened with her was not known to her till she found herself in the hospital.
After she had gained sense, a statement was given to police who then looked for the suspects.
The medical report had ruled that the victim was sexually assaulted and gang raped by the two men.
It is believed that the other accused had gone missing right after the incident. The 23-year¬old suspect, who was arrested the next day from his house in Bajothang confessed to the crime.
