Manhunt for rapist of 15-year-old teen charged with murder still unknown - police

SHAH ALAM - The whereabouts of Mohammad Hazuarie Hassan to help investigations into the alleged rape of a 15-year old girl who has been charged for murder after killing her newborn in Sri Bandi, Kemaman, is still unknown, the police have said.

Kemaman District Police Chief, Superintendent Hanyan Ramlan told Sinar Daily that his enforcement team is on a manhunt for the suspect with the help of police from other districts.

“We have support from other districts since the suspect has been included in the wanted list in our system.

“This means he will be arrested if found at roadblocks or when he decides to make a police report in any police station in the country,” he said.

Hanyan has advised the suspect to turn himself.

“We believe he fled to the northern part of Terengganu previously but we have failed to locate him there and his current whereabouts are unknown,” he said.

On Feb 15, the victim was charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, Magistrate Tengku Eliana Kamaruzaman rejected the girl's plea for bail, her lawyer Nurainie Haziqah was reported as saying. Murder under Section 302 is non-bailable. But Nurainie had said Section 399 of the Criminal Procedure Code allows exceptions to be made if the person charged is sick, a minor and a female.

Hanyan added the investigation has not been completed as the suspect is yet to be arrested.

On Feb 8, a separate investigation was opened after the victim lodged a police report against the offender.

The victim was charged after stab wounds were found on the newborn.

Activists want an appeal for bail since the teen was a victim of rape and a minor, they say it is extremely unjust that the suspect gets away with rape while the victim is convicted of murder.