Verdict pending in Maungdaw child rape and murder case

By Admin 22 Aug 2026

DMG Newsroom

22 August 2026, Maungdaw

A final verdict has yet to be delivered in a child rape and murder case in Aung Thukha Village, Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, with the victim's family reporting delays due to repeated court postponements.

The family stated that proceedings are lagging because defense witnesses have repeatedly failed to appear in court.

The court held a session on August 18, but because defence witnesses did not show up, the judge rescheduled the hearing for August 25.

"Defence witnesses have failed to attend court hearings for four consecutive weeks. If they do not appear at the upcoming hearing, it will mark five weeks. It feels as if the case is being intentionally delayed," said a female relative of the victim.

On March 16, a 17-year-old resident named Maung Pauk Sa Chay allegedly raped and murdered a two-year-old child in Aung Thukha Village before attempting to conceal the body.

The Department of Law Enforcement and Public Security arrested the perpetrator alongside his mother, Daw Hla Mya Than, as an accomplice. However, the mother was released nearly a month later on April 17.

The victim's family stated that the perpetrator faces charges of rape, murder, and destruction of evidence. As the case drags into its fifth month without resolution, the family faces mounting financial and emotional burdens.

"The case happened on March 16 and remains unsettled five months later. We had to bring two or three witnesses to hearings over a two-month period. Transporting witnesses costs around K150,000 per trip, yet the court ultimately dismissed their testimony as insufficient," said a male family member of the victim.

The family has appealed to the Judicial Department of the United League of Arakan (ULA) to expedite the trial and deliver a strict verdict against those found guilty.

Legal enforcement against child rape cases in areas controlled the Arakan Army remains weak, with perpetrators escaping justice in several sexual assault incidents.

Women's rights activists pointed out that shortcomings in handling rape cases risk eroding public trust in the administration and judiciary of the ULA.

"When perpetrators go free or cases are not thoroughly investigated, it acts as an encouragement for future crimes. We want cases to be investigated promptly and thoroughly, with effective penalties handed down as in international practice. Prolonged trials inflict physical and emotional distress on victimized families. While we understand the gaps during a period of conflict and reconstruction, rape cases must be handled systematically," said a young female activist from Kyauktaw Township.

At least 13 incidents of sexual violence, rape, and child rape have been reported in areas controlled by the Arakan Army this year, with prosecution rates remaining low.

A research bulletin by ISP-Myanmar highlighted that a lack of transparency, justice, and trial delays within the ULA/AA judicial department has fueled growing dissatisfaction among local women.