By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, May 18: A 69-year-old man has been sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison and eight strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to two counts of child sexual assault involving a 12-year-old girl and an eight-year-old child, with the accused living within a five-minute walk from the victims’ home.
He appeared before two different judges in the Sessions Court, where he admitted to both charges brought under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
Judge Iris Awen Jon sentenced the man to 15 years’ imprisonment and four strokes of the cane for the first assault, which took place on May 11 at around 4pm in a village house in Petra Jaya.
The victim, aged 12 years and 10 months at the time, was sexually assaulted by the accused.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Chuah Kai Sheng urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, highlighting that the victim remains deeply fearful and traumatised.
He told the court that the girl had been afraid to report the abuse, and the incident had caused severe psychological harm that may affect her for life.
He called for a sentence that would punish the offender, warn the public, and raise awareness.
Judge Iris delivered the 15-year jail term and caning after considering the nature of the offence, aggravating factors, and public interest.
The second charge was heard before Judge Noorhisham. The court was told that on August 20, 2023, which was the victim’s eighth birthday, the same offender sexually assaulted another young girl, also at around 4pm in the same location.
Judge Noorhisham sentenced the accused to another 15 years in prison and four strokes of the cane, ordering this term to run separately from the first sentence, bringing the total to 30 years and eight strokes.
Both girls knew the accused, who would often visit their home and take them out to eat.
In both incidents, the victims were watching TikTok when he sexually assaulted them. The accused used promises of mobile phones to watch TikTok and outings as lures and warned both children not to tell anyone about what happened.
Even though the second assault occurred about two years and nine months before the court case, the victim, now aged 10 years and eight months, continues to show signs of trauma and distress.
One of the mothers of the victims first learned of the abuse on May 11 when both girls told her what had happened. She immediately filed a police report. The accused was arrested three days later, on May 14, along a roadside in the Sungai Bera Hilir area of Petra Jaya.
In addition to the prison terms and caning, both judges ordered the offender to undergo counselling during his incarceration, followed by police supervision for five years after his release.
The accused, who was not represented by a lawyer, has since told the court that he plans to appeal to the High Court for a reduction of his sentence.
The case was prosecuted by DPP Chuah Kai Sheng and Marvind Kaliyani separately. — DayakDaily
