A 13-year-old minor, allegedly sexually abused by her 24-year half-brother, is 18-week pregnant.

The incident was reported to the Punakha police on June 3.

The victim is a Class V student of one of the schools in Punakha.

The victim was taken to the hospital for a medical examination and was confirmed that she was pregnant.

The incident reportedly took place at Dzomi in Punakha, about five kilometres from Khuruthang in December 2023. 

The 24-year-old suspect is a monk of Tashigang Goenpa in Thimphu.

The suspect was summoned to the police station and during interrogation confessed to having committed the crime under the influence of alcohol.

The victim was abused several times.

The suspect is said to have been booked for rape of a child above 12 years of age.

Section 183 of the Penal Code of Bhutan states that a defendant shall be guilty of the offence of rape of a child above the age of 12 years if the defendant commits any act of sexual intercourse against a child between the ages of 12 to 18 years.

Section 184 grades the offence as a second-degree felony, carrying a prison sentence of nine to 15-year imprisonment. 

The suspect is also charged for incest as per the section 207 and 208 of the Penal Code of Bhutan. 

Section 207 states: “A defendant shall be guilty of the offence of incest, if the defendant engages in sexual intercourse or any other sexual conduct with a person to whom the defendant is related by consanguinity or affinity in such a way that they cannot legally marry except otherwise provided in other laws.”

Incest is a misdemeanour with minimum prison term of one to three years.