A 16-year-old girl was raped by an underage offender while in police custody at the Miri Central police station in Sarawak last week.
According to a police report she lodged, the girl said she was detained on Jan 8 on suspicion of being involved in illegal gambling activities.
While she was held in a separate cell from the male detainees, the victim said that the doors for the male cells were not locked.
Early on Jan 9, the victim claimed the offender, whom she claimed had the key to her cell, opened her cell door and raped her in the lockup's toilet.
According to Senator Alan Ling, who accompanied the teen to lodge her report, the assailant was a juvenile offender.
The rapist was charged on Jan 12 for the crime and pleaded guilty.
The teen wants police to investigate the negligence which led to her rape as well as whether there was complicity on behalf of the police personnel on duty at that time
Sarawak police chief Aidi Ismail, when contacted, said that two policemen who were supposed to be guarding the lockup when the incident happened have been suspended and are now under investigation.
"They are supposed to take charge but they failed to do that.
"We will investigate their supervisors as well, whether they supervised the two guards and whether all is in order or not," Aidi told Malaysiakini.
Meanwhile, Ling and his assistant Lawrence Low - both of whom are practising lawyers - are planning to file a civil suit on behalf of the teenager seeking compensation and damages over the sexual assault. - Mkini
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