Brahma Kumaris devotee had old tear in hymen, doctor tells court

Religious teacher S Baskaran is charged with raping the final year psychology student in her room at the Brahma Kumaris hostel in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, on Sept 14, 2018.

KUALA LUMPUR: A doctor who examined a Brahma Kumaris devotee who claimed she was raped by her religious “guru” said the alleged victim suffered an old, partial tear to her hymen.

Dr Intan Sabrina Muhd Haniff, from the obstetrics and gynaecology department at Tengku Azizah Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, told the Sessions Court today that based on her analysis, the woman suffered a “partial, old hymenal tear at 6 o’clock” caused by a “blunt object”, which may include a penis, fingers or any other object.

However, she said the alleged victim – a 26-year old final year psychology student with the International University of Malaya-Wales – had no fresh wounds on her private parts.

Intan Sabrina said her medical examination indicated that there were “no new hymenal tear, abrasions, discharge, redness or bruises”.

She said she could not determine the exact cause of the tear, and when it happened.

Asked by defence counsel Kamarul Zaman if the tear could have been caused by strenuous activities such as cycling, running or swimming, the doctor said there was indication of penetration by a blunt object.

Intan Sabrina said she examined the woman on March 14 last year after she lodged a police report a month earlier.

She said the woman was escorted by a woman police officer, Noraida Ahmad.

The alleged victim had previously told the court she was raped by religious teacher S Baskaran, 47, in her room at the Brahma Kumaris hostel in Bangsar on Sept 14, 2018.

Intan Sabrina said that during an interview with the woman before the gynaecology examination, she had asked why it took her five months to lodge a report.

She said the woman told her she felt scared of going for a medical examination and was also worried about the stigma.

Because of the lapse of time, she said, she classified the case as a “cold case alleged rape”.

“Usually, if it is (classified) a fresh case, (the incident must) occur within the last 72 hours,” she told the court.

Reading out her medical report, Intan Sabrina said the woman had claimed she was assaulted after a day trip with her ex-boyfriend Baskaran at Bukit Tinggi in Pahang.

She said the woman had told her she felt pain, but did not report any postcoital bleeding.

Baskaran, an engineer,  pleaded not guilty when he was charged in September last year with raping the devotee.

Counsel Kamarul had told the court earlier the couple were lovers.

Deputy public prosecutor Nur Farah Adilah Noordin is prosecuting the case, while the alleged victim is represented by lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan.

The trial before judge Suraya Mustafa Kamal continues on March 30. - FMT