Rapist sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment

The Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag Court, last week, pronounced its verdict on Dorji Gyeltshen who was alleged of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl on the night of June 26. The court found him guilty of the offence and was slapped a prison term of nine years.

In the verdict, passed on November 19, the 25-year-old convict has also been ordered to pay a compensation of Nu 30,000 to the victim.

Initially, the convict denied all allegations to police and argued that it was a consensual act, but since the victim was a minor, so the convict was booked under Section 183 of the Penal Code of Bhutan.

However, the convict had confessed to the crime in the court, and hence the verdict.

The unfortunate incident had taken place during the cordyceps collection season, when the victim along with her maternal uncle had gone to collect cordyceps along with the convict.

On the night of June 26, the victim’s uncle and the convict were drinking inside one tent. The uncle, who was drunk, had slept in the tent of the convict. The convict had silently sneaked out of his tent and to the tent of the victim, where she was sleeping alone.

A formal complaint was lodged with the Wangduephodrang police by the victim after four days and upon reaching back home from cordyceps collection.

Based on the complaint received from the victim, the convict was arrested and detained. A medical examination was conducted which confirmed that the victim was sexually abused.

The offence of raping a minor above 12 years is a third degree felony, according to the Penal Code of Bhutan.

In another case, the same court on April 5 pronounced a prison term of nine years on a 29-year-old man from Punakha for the offence of rape of a minor on the night of February 1, 2013.

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