It's Parliament's fault for letting RAPISTS go free - Karpal

GEORGE TOWN - Parliament, and not the courts, is at fault for allowing convicted statutory rapists to go free without serving a custodial sentence.

Veteran lawmaker Karpal Singh said this was because Section 294 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which allows the courts to bind over offenders was passed by the House.

"Blaming the court is wrong; it is Parliament which has to be blamed," he said at a press conference in Air Itam on Saturday adding that the house has to act to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

The Bukit Gelugor MP's comments came following public outrage that the Malacca sessions court on Aug 8 had bound over national bowler Nor Afizal Azizan for five years for good behaviour for statutory rape on his girlfriend in July last year.

Public anger continued when electrician Chuah Guan Jiu was bound over for three years on a RM25,000 good behaviour bond by the Penang sessions court on Aug 29 after being convicted of raping his 12-year-old girlfriend twice.

The two cases have sparked public uproar with women and children's rights groups leading the charge to have the law on statutory rape reviewed.

Mirroring the call, Karpal said the federal government should take the lead to allay public concerns by moving an amendment to the law when Parliament convenes on Sept 25.

"The rights of children must be protected," he said adding that only Parliament could remove the law which allows statutory rapists to be bound over.

The Sundaily