MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai said the girl, herself a victim of a crime nine months ago, “is now again a victim of injustice”.

“Apart from the trauma of the rape, she has to bear the brunt of being pregnant and also face backlash from society, adding to her risk of not just developing mental illness but also further pushing her towards unwarranted behaviour like infanticide,” he said in a statement today.

Koh said that if the girl was already depressed during her unwanted pregnancy, the risk of developing postpartum depression was definitely higher.

“Survivors of sexual violence may experience mental, behavioural and social consequences.

“Girls and women, who are the vast majority of victims, bear the extra brunt of reproductive consequences apart from the trauma of sexual assault and risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections,” he said.

He said survivors may also start to show high risk behaviour, including suicide and even infanticide.

Yesterday, the 15-year-old was denied bail by the Kemaman magistrates’ court after being charged with the murder of a newborn boy.

The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code was read out before magistrate Tengku Eliana Tuan Kamaruzaman.

The girl’s lawyer, Nurainie Haziqah Shafii, confirmed with FMT that a bail application was submitted but rejected by the court.

Nurainie said they would decide soon on whether to appeal against the rejection of the bail application. The next case management would be heard on March 16.

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