A disturbing case of abuse and exploitation has come to light in Malaysia, where a 34-year-old religious teacher, Mohd Zulkurnain Mohd Zain, has been charged with seven counts of raping and physically abusing a 15-year-old student with a disability (OKU). The alleged offenses took place between December 2023 and August of the same year, in a storage room at a special education school.

According to reports, the accused pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court on November 25 but later confessed to the crimes after all the charges were read out before Judge Siti Noraida Sulaiman. The court heard that the offenses occurred between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM, during which time the accused allegedly took advantage of the vulnerable student.

According to Harian Metro, the charges against Mohd Zulkurnain include two counts of rape under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and whipping if convicted. Additionally, he faces five counts of physical sexual abuse under Section 14(b) and Section 14(d) of the Sexual Offenses Against Children Act 2017, which also carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and possible whipping.

During the court proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Farah Wahida Shahudin requested that the court set bail at RM60,000 with one surety for all seven charges, along with conditions that the accused report to the nearest police station once a month and surrender his international passport to the court. However, defense lawyer Iskandar Shah Ibrahim argued for a lower bail of RM30,000, citing the accused's monthly salary of RM3,000 and his wife's income of RM1,800.

Judge Siti Noraida Sulaiman ultimately set bail at RM35,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to report to the nearest police station once a month and hand over his international passport to the court. The case is scheduled to be mentioned again on December 30 for the submission of documents.

Source: Harian Metro