Kelantan police chief misunderstood rape law, says MP
The Kelantan police chief has grossly misunderstood the law in suggesting that underage girls involved in cases of statutory rape should also be charged, said Tebrau MP Jimmy Puah.
He said the Penal Code is clear that only adult men can be charged with statutory rape, not girls under the age of 16, “even if she agrees”.
In a statement this evening, he said children are not legally able to give consent. “The law is based on the fact that they are not mature enough mentally, emotionally or socially to make such decisions,” he said.
His comments came after Kelantan police chief Yusoff Mamat was reported to have said that authorities should consider charging underage girls in such cases in order to prevent more cases of consensual underage sex.
Puah said the law was written to protect children, not punish them. “It…
