Police detained a soldier last night for allegedly raping a 21-year-old woman at a hotel in Lahad Datu on Tuesday.

Lahad Datu district police chief Nasri Mansor said the 24-year-old suspect, who serves at a military camp in Sarawak, was detained at the police headquarters at 9pm.

“The investigation is ongoing and the woman is believed to be the suspect’s girlfriend for the past four months,” he said in a statement today.

Based on the preliminary investigation, Nasri said, the suspect contacted the victim to meet up on the day before the alleged incident at a shopping mall in Kota Kinabalu.

“After the meeting, at 6.30pm, the suspect then took the victim to the Inanam Bus Station before purchasing bus tickets to Lahad Datu.

“The victim appealed to the suspect to let her go but she was slapped in the face and punched in the stomach instead. Along the journey to Lahad Datu, the suspect also threatened to beat the victim if she cried,” he said.

In Lahad Datu, Nasri said the victim was taken to a hotel and was forced to have sex and the suspect was believed to have hit the victim on the hands, stomach and thighs.

“The victim was finally released the next day at a shopping centre in Sandakan and she was fetched by her cousin,” he said.

Nasri said the victim was referred to the Lahad Datu Hospital and the doctor confirmed there were fresh tears as well as bruises on her hands and feet.

- Bernama