By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Feb 10: The Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 16-year-old boy to three years behind bars for sexually assaulting his 14-year-old schoolmate, with whom he was in a relationship with, on two separate occasions at their school.
Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan ordered the immediate commencement of the sentence. In her ruling, she stated that while incarceration is not the preferred outcome for juvenile offenders, provisions within the Child Act 2001 provided the legal basis for the prison term.
Ling further mandated that the teenager be detained separately from adult prisoners to avoid harmful influence. She also recommended that he be allowed to participate in educational programmes during his sentence.
A request by the defence counsel for a delay in sentencing pending an appeal was rejected by the court.
The youth admitted guilt to two counts of rape under the Penal Code. The incidents occurred in late 2024 and October 2025 in different classrooms at the school. The victim, now 16, was 14 at the time of the assaults.
The case came to light after school officials alerted the girl’s mother about the relationship. A police report led to the boy’s arrest last November. Evidence gathered included personal diaries and an unused condom provided by a teacher.
Investigations confirmed the victim’s account of two sexual encounters, with a medical examination supporting the claim.
The court also noted the defendant’s prior disciplinary record at school, which included involvement in misconduct serious enough to have previously led to his expulsion.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani. — DayakDaily
