Samtse dzongkhag court last week sentenced a 43-year-old man from Sangacholing gewog, Samtse to five years six months in prison for attempted rape of a 10-year-old girl.

Pintha Kumar Limbu admitted the charges in the court.

On December 18, 2017, Pintha Kumar Limbu had come to the victim’s place to buy and drink bangchang(alcohol) with friends.

Pintha Kumar Limbu remained at the place after drinking while his friends left.

The girl’s grandmother had gone outside the house to tend to the cattle. The girl was in the altar room removing the water offering when the accused entered the room and caught her from behind.

When the grandmother entered the room, she found the girl’s pants were pulled down and the convict had gagged her with his hands.

Penal Code of Bhutan’s section 181 states that a person shall be guilty of the offence of statutory rape if the person engages in sexual intercourse with a child below 12 years, or an incompetent person, either with or without knowledge of the other person being a child or incompetent.

The felony is graded a second-degree felony.

Section 36 of the Penal Code states that the court may order a defendant to pay appropriate damages or reparation for any loss, injury, or deterioration caused to the a victim.

The judgment stated that since the girl did not suffer any physical injury or there is no threat to her life, the court ruled out any compensation to the girl.

“Further, the defendant has no capacity to pay the damages,” the judgment stated.

The man will remain behind bars until June 18, 2023.

Tshering Palden 

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