Three Mongolian women have been detained after they lodged a police report in relation to the alleged rape of two fellow female nationals by a police inspector, said their counsel Mathew Thomas Philip.
Speaking to Malaysiakini today, the lawyer confirmed that the Mongolian Consulate hired his legal firm Thomas Philip (Advocates and Solicitors) and that they will be filing an application to release the three Mongolian women.
According to the lawyer, the three women were the ones who raised the alarm over the alleged rape of the other two Mongolian nationals by a police inspector.
It was reported that on April 11, the police arrested an inspector over the suspected rape of two Mongolian women. The police officer was detained at a movement control order (MCO) roadblock in Petaling Jaya.
Philip said the Petaling Jaya Magistrate’s Court today allowed an application by the police for a 21-day interim protection order against the trio as part of an investigation into human trafficking.
The lawyer said his legal team will be filing an application this week to set aside the interim protection order, which restricted the three women’s movements as they would be confined to a safehouse.
He said the Mongolian Consulate was shocked at the detention of the three women, adding that the interim protection order application by the police was made on the reason for the police to investigate human trafficking, when in fact the trio had lodged a police report over the alleged rape of the two other Mongolian women.
“We have instructions to (file an application to) set aside the interim protection order. The (Mongolian) Consulate was shocked at what happened to the three women.
“Today, we initially thought we were going to the (Magistrate’s) Court because of an interim protection order related to the rape (investigation).
"But suddenly, we were told that the interim protection order was for (police investigation into) human trafficking.
“It was just a case of the three women going to help (the Mongolian victims) and suddenly they found themselves under the interim protection order.
“The Mongolian Consulate said the three women need not be under the interim protection order in relation to human trafficking,” he said, adding that the police claimed that the three women are considered as victims in the human trafficking case.
He said that his lawyers during today’s proceedings had raised an objection to the interim order application as being baseless, because the root matter is the alleged rape of the other two Mongolian women by the police inspector, with no element of human trafficking.
Philip claimed that the two victims were allegedly kidnapped at a police roadblock on April 9, then on April 10 the three women texted in a group chat seeking help and then contacted the police.
The lawyer explained that on April 10, the police arrived at the scene and asked the three girls to go to a police station to lodge a police report over the incident, which they did and then they left for home afterwards.
It was on April 11 when the police went to the three women’s house and arrested them, he said.
“The three women do not feel the interim protection order is necessary for protection. They just want to go home (to Mongolia) and for the Consulate to ensure their safety,” he said.
Philip added that the matter has been exacerbated by the three women’s complaint that their personal information has somehow been leaked to social media following their arrest.
“They are more fearful, they came to help the two Mongolian women and then they get put under an interim protection order and then the information on their smartphones were released.
“Some photos of them at the police station were circulated on social media. They are asking how that could have happened,” Philip said. - Mkini
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