The Sessions Court in Penang yesterday spared a 22-year-old man from jail after finding him guilty of statutory rape of a 12-year-old girl last year.

Chuah Guan Jiu, an electrician, was bound over for three years on a good behaviour bond of RM25,000 for raping the girl, whom he was "dating", on two occasions.

Mirroring the controversial case involving national bowler Nor Afizal Azizan, who escaped jail despite being convicted of statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl, judge Nisa Abdul Aziz said Chuah was young and had a bright future.

"According to the probation report, he does not have a criminal background," theSun today quotes Nisa as saying.

The daily reported that court also considered the fact that the act of sex was consensual, that Chuah had not tricked the girl and that he was not highly educated, having dropped out of school at Form Two.

Chuah was on July 20 this year found guilty of statutory rape of the girl, aged 12 years and 10 months at the time.

Persuaded victim to skip school

Claiming to be ill, he had on July 18 last year persuaded the victim to skip school and follow him to his flat at Air Itam, where the offence was committed, theSun reported. He had raped her again at the same place the next day.

NONE Chuah was convicted under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code and he faced up to 20 years' jail and whipping.

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeal bound over national bowler Nor Afizal ( left ) for good behaviour for five years after convicting him of statutory rape.

In the written judgment handed down on Monday, the Court of Appeal said it set aside a five-year jail term imposed by the Malacca High Court to give Nor Afizal "another chance in life" in the hope that he would "turn over a new leaf".

Court of Appeal president Md Raus Sharif said the decision should not be construed to apply to all young offenders in similar cases.

Related stories

Umno MP: Child rapist should be jailed

Police not demotivated by statutory rape rulings

Cops confirm arrest of politician, son in incest case