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Published: Thursday March 8, 2012 MYT 10:30:00 PM
Updated: Thursday March 8, 2012 MYT 10:31:49 PM

Army officer gets 13 years' jail, 16 strokes of rotan for rape, robbery of student

By TERENCE TOH

KUALA LUMPUR: A junior army officer was sentenced to 13 years in prison and 16 strokes of the rotan by the Sessions Court here after pleading guilty to the rape-cum-robbery of a student three years ago.

Former lance corporal Hamzi Amni Zamali, 26, admitted to raping the student aged 19 at the time, and also to causing her injury by kicking and her in the stomach while trying to rob her.

Both offences took place in some bushes in Sungai Besi, Cheras, around 10pm on March 8 three years ago.

He also pleaded guilty to raping her again at around 8am the next day at a house in Brickfields.

Hamzi, a father of two, originally claimed trial for the charges under section 376(2)(a) and 394 of the Penal Code. He eventually changed his plea to guilty.

Hamzi first got to know the student through the social network Myspace. The two had met up for the first time when the offence took place.

Defence counsel Shahrul Nizam asked for a light sentence, saying Hamzi had saved the court's time by pleading guilty, and had repented his crimes.

Deputy public prosecutor Ain-Nur' Amiyerra Awod Abdullah said that as an army officer, the accused should have protected the victim, and not taken advantage of her.

"His acts have caused deep psychological and emotional trauma to her," Ain-Nur said, asking for a deterrent sentence in the public interest.

Sessions judge Emelia Kaswati Mohamad Khalid sentenced Hamzi to 12 years in prison and eight strokes of the rotan for the first rape charge, and 13 years and a further eight strokes for the second.

She also sentenced him to five years imprisonment for robbery. All sentences will run concurrently.

Hamzi also pleaded guilty to several other charges, including two other occasions of rape.