Phurpa Lhamo

Punakha dzongkhag court sentenced a 79-year-old man from Punakha to 15 years in prison for statutory rape for attempting to rape a five-year-old child.

The judgment stated that the man from Punakha visited the five-year-old child’s house to watch television on September 16 and attempted to rape her.

It stated that although there were so signs of penetration, as he had rubbed his genital on the child’s, the court sentenced him for statutory rape, as his intention was to rape the child.

Section 181 of the Penal Code (Amendment) Act of Bhutan 2011 states that a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of statutory rape if the defendant engages in any act of sexual intercourse whatever its nature with a child below twelve years, or an incompetent person, either with or without knowledge of the other person being a child or incompetent person.

The judgment, which was rendered on November 9, also stated the man was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a minimum term for the first-degree felony, as he didn’t have past criminal record.

Advertisement