A priest who claimed he wanted to “change the fate” of a 12-year-old schoolgirl was sentenced to 15 years in prison and four strokes of the cane by the Batu Pahat Sessions Court in Johor after being found guilty of raping her in an oil palm plantation four years ago.

Judge Harmi Thamri Mohamad handed down the sentence on Pechimuthu Vethumalay, 53, who coincidentally celebrated his birthday today after ruling that the defence had failed to raise any reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case.