Lay Waddy FM
An alleged rape perpetrator in Wethali Township, Rakhine State, was reportedly released within 24 hours after the case was reported to the local DLEP authorities, according to sources close to the survivor.
The alleged incident occurred on August 10 in Ngaye Chaing Village, Wethali Township. A 38-year-old woman, the daughter of Daw Oo Yin Sein Mya, was allegedly raped by a 42-year-old man from the same village, identified as the son of U Hla Kyaw Maung. The suspect’s name is still being investigated.
“He entered the house where the mother and daughter were living alone, covered the woman’s mouth and sexually assaulted her,” a source close to the survivor told Lay Waddy FM.
The survivor’s family reportedly filed a complaint with the relevant DLEP force within days of the incident. However, according to the source, the suspect was arrested but released again within 24 hours.
“The woman’s family cannot afford the financial costs of filing a case directly with the court, so they can only report the matter at the community level. They reported it to the DLEP, but the suspect was detained for only one day before being released. He is now moving around freely in the community,” a person close to the survivor said.
Earlier this month, Daw Hla Mya Khine, a central committee member of the United League of Arakan (ULA), said that special courts had been established in Rakhine to hear and adjudicate rape cases.
However, cases that arise at the community level are often handled by village leaders and local administrators. Sources say this can result in serious crimes, including rape allegations, being settled or dismissed without reaching the courts.
“The suspect’s side used money to have the case closed through the DLEP before it could be brought to court,” the source close to the survivor alleged.
A separate high-profile case in Ponnagyun Township, involving the alleged rape and murder of a victim whose body was reportedly concealed after she was found with her hands handcuffed behind her back, recently resulted in death sentences and lengthy prison terms for those convicted earlier this month.
