Family demands recapture of escaped child rape suspect in Pauktaw

By Admin 26 Jun 2026

DMG Newsroom

26 June 2026, Pauktaw

Relatives of an eight-year-old rape victim in Arakan State’s Pauktaw Township are demanding the immediate recapture of a suspect who escaped from local law enforcement custody four months ago, according to independent monitoring sources on Friday.

The case has remained unresolved in the administrative area controlled by the Arakan Army (AA).

The victim’s family said that although they submitted formal appeals to the Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security (DLEPS), authorities have stopped active efforts to track down the fugitive.

"We demand immediate action to recapture this criminal," a representative of the victim’s family said. "Several months have passed since his escape, but DLEPS has failed to continue search efforts. The initial investigation has now fallen into silence."

According to legal records, the incident occurred on March 3, when an eight-year-old girl from Phaduchay Village was sexually assaulted. The suspect was identified as U Tun Aung Chay, 45, from nearby Thitpotechaung Village.

Security personnel arrested U Tun Aung Chay the following morning. However, the suspect later escaped from custody due to alleged negligence by local DLEPS officers and remains at large.

Although charges were filed through the Minbya District Court, authorities have not publicly disclosed the specific legal classifications applied to the case.

Under DLEPS legal guidelines, Section 376 (3) of the Penal Code states that a person convicted of raping a girl under the age of 12 can face life imprisonment or a 20-year prison sentence, along with financial penalties.

Women’s rights advocates in Arakan State have criticized weaknesses in the justice system and a lack of transparency surrounding sexual violence cases.

"Child sexual abuse is a serious violation of human rights that cannot be ignored under any administration," said a human rights defender in Myebon Township. "Such crimes against children cause lasting psychological harm and affect their future. Legal accountability must apply equally to everyone."

Records compiled across Arakan State show at least 15 confirmed cases of sexual assault and rape between June 2024 and April 2026. Suspects linked to at least four of those cases remain fugitives.

Rights groups warned that increasing cases of sexual violence in areas controlled by the Arakan Army, combined with weak enforcement mechanisms, pose growing risks to women and children in the state.