Mufiz Rahaman, 20, claims that because child rape is “culturally acceptable” in his homeland of Myanmar, he should get a free pass.
Rahaman was living with his ten-year-old victim in a group house for refugees in a suburb of Sydney, Australia. Both Rahaman and the little boy were refugees from the same region of Myanmar.
According to reports, he snuck into the little boy’s bedroom while his father was out, removed the child’s underwear, and proceeded to rape him.
The boy’s father soon returned—in time to overhear Rahaman offering to pay his victim for the nonconsensual sex. The boy’s dad stormed into the room, where he caught Rahaman lying on top of his mostly-naked son. The boy later told his father that he had been raped.
Rahaman was arrested two days later, after his DNA sample matched semen found on his victim.
Rahaman pled guilty at his trial—and Judge Andrew Scotting sentenced him to five years in jail for his crimes. Scotting also chastised him for his “lack of morality” for continuing to claim there was nothing wrong with raping little boys, and for refusing to acknowledge that he had both physically and psychologically damaged his young victim.
“There is a need for specific deterrence,” explained Scotting. “The offense appears to have been [viewed] as being culturally acceptable conduct.”
Despite the five year sentence, Rahaman will be eligible for parole in March 2018 under Australian law.
