POLICE ON THE TRAIL OF TWO SUSPECTS INVOLVED IN RAPING A MINOR

LARUT, Nov 20 (Bernama) - Police are hunting for two local men in connection with a gang rape incident involving a minor girl in the Redang Panjang area here, last April.

Selama District Police Chief Supt Sarudin Samah said the two suspects, in their 20s, are believed to be students at local institutions of higher learning.

"Both suspects are still at large and are likely to be outside Perak. We have also received assistance from members (police) in locations that we feel are hiding places for the two suspects.

"We believe that if the two are successfully arrested, it will help to complete the investigation in relation to this case," he said at a press conference after attending the Selama District Police Chief's Monthly Assembly at the Selama District Police Headquarters (IPD) here today.

Sarudin said five suspects, aged between 18 and 26, have been arrested and charged under Section 375B of the Penal Code at the Taiping Court on Nov 14, in connection with the same incident.

He said investigations into the case since Nov 8 found that the 15-year-old victim had met one of the suspects through social media and agreed to meet him.

"The victim left the house in a car driven by the suspect while her parents were sleeping. Later, the suspect took the victim to an area and persuaded the victim to have sex. After that, suddenly other suspects who were also in the area came and took turns to rape the victim in turn," he said.

Meanwhile, he said the case was reported to the police late because the victim kept the matter a secret from her parents.

"That's why if we look at it, the incident happened last April and the report was made about seven months (Nov 8) after that. This delay is due to the fact that the victim's parents only found out about what happened recently," he said.

-- BERNAMA