The Zhemgang District Court convicted two men of raping a nine-year-old girl. The crime took place in three separate incidents last year. Upholding the Pangbang Dungkhag Court’s judgment, the District Court sentenced 36-year-old Neten Wangchuk to life imprisonment for raping his step-daughter. However, the District Court increased the prison term for 38-year-old Sangay Gyeltshen from five to 15 years.
The District Court passed the judgment yesterday. The step-father Neten Wangchuk had appealed to the court. He told the court that the mother and the girl framed the accusations after they had some issues.
But the District Court upheld the lower court’s judgment sentencing him to life imprisonment after reviewing the evidence.
The other convict, Sangay Gyeltshen received 15 years prison term. The Dungkhag Court had sentenced him to five years in prison in April this year for attempted rape.
But the court found that he had raped the girl. He is the owner of the house where the girl lives. The Office of the Attorney General had appealed for a longer prison term for Sangay Gyeltshen.
The court also asked Neten Wangchuk to pay a compensation of Nu 45,000 and Sangay Gyeltshen to compensate Nu 26,000 to the girl.
The duo was arrested in November last year. The mother informed the police after she took the girl to the hospital who complained of pain while urinating.
BBS is not showing the pictures of the two convicts to protect the girl’s identity.
Kinley Dem & Pema Samdrup
