Three Thais jailed, face caning for forcing a 17-year-old girl into prostitution in Brunei

Having pleaded guilty to the charges on the previous day, each defendant was sentenced to serve four years in prison by the presiding Judge Muhammed Faisal PDJLP DSP Hj Kefli

The 47-year-old female defendant, who is the aunt of the victim, was also fined 30,000 Brunei dollars (Bt768,000), or an additional 30-month prison sentence if she fails to pay the fine.

The two male defendants were each also fined BN$20,000 and BN$10,000 in default of which they would have to serve prison sentences of 20 months and 10 months, respectively. Additionally, the male defendants were also sentenced to five and four strokes of the cane.

All the defendants indicated to the court that they would not be able to pay the fines and thus would have to serve their respective default sentences.

The defendants had been arrested along with a Malaysian national, who has was convicted on March 9, at a house in Kampong Jangsak in a raid by police officers from the Anti-Vice and Gambling Suppression Unit.

The underage victim, whose name is being withheld to protect her identity, had only arrived in the country four days prior to the raid.

Prior to that, the victim had asked her aunt for Bt13,000 for her father who was involved in a car accident last year that left him with critical injuries.

The woman instead offered to help the victim engage in sexual services and then facilitated the victim’s journey to Brunei from Thailand and also provided food and accommodation. The male defendants had been assigned to seeking prospective clients who would pay to have sexual intercourse with the victim as well as transporting her to clients’ locations.