Trongsa district court sentenced a 21-year-old man from Shermung in Mongar to nine years in prison for raping a 16-year-old student in Trongsa.

The incident occurred on November 27 last year, when the student had visited the man’s house and had alcohol with him. The man then had sexual intercourse with the student.

Although the act was claimed to be consensual, it is considered rape since the student was a minor.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) prosecuted the case representing the minor. The OAG charged the man for violating section 183 of the Bhutan Penal Code 2004, which states that a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of rape of child above the age of 12 years if he or she has sexual intercourse with a child between the age of 12 to 18 years.

The Penal Code of Bhutan (amended) 2011 grades the offence of rape of child above 12 years to 18 years as a second-degree felony. The sentence varies between nine to 15 years imprisonment.

The man, who was arrested the same day the crime, was committed had served more than five months in prison when the verdict was passed earlier this month. He will have to serve more than eight years and six months in prison.

Staff reporter

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