Police investigations are underway to determine a Penan's claim she was tricked into going to Kuala Lumpur to lodge a police report that she was raped by a timber logger.

Sarawak CID chief SAC Huzir Mohamed said the police had called a few witnesses to facilitate investigations into the report of the 22-year-old mother of two.

"It is untrue the police are not investigating the woman's claim. When the Penan woman said she was raped, we investigated.

"When she denied she was not raped, we also investigate to determine the truth.

"The truth will prevail and the court will decide," he told reporters at a press conference at the CID office in Kuching today.

Huzir was commenting on a woman's group, Persatuan Wanita Desa Sarawak, which alleged that the police failure to investigate the report on rape had led the woman to deny she was raped.

Duped to retract report?

Last year, the woman from Baram lodged a police report in Kuala Lumpur, alleging she was raped by a logger.

However, on Sept 26, this year, the woman lodged another report at the Long Lama police station in Baram, claiming that she was duped into going to Kuala Lumpur to lodge the said report.

The National Action Council's fact-finding mission to Baram last year, confirmed the sexual harassment and exploitation of Penan women, including under-aged girls, by loggers.

Its report said the Penans' dependence on logging company vehicles for transport to and from the longhouses to their school made them vulnerable to sexual attacks.

The council documented at least eight cases of rape and molest of under-aged Penan girls by timber workers.

- Bernama