By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, July 20: The High Court here affirmed the sentence on a man who was convicted of sexually assaulting his underage cousin.
Romeo Archa Alak was convicted and sentenced to an imprisonment of 10 years and three strokes of the cane in the Kota Samarahan Sessions Court.
He appealed against the sentence meted out by the Kota Samarahan Sessions Court to Kuching High Court.
High Court Judge Alwi Abdul Wahab ruled that the appellant has no valid reason to support his appeal against the sentence.
He was convicted of physically assaulting his 14-year-old cousin by making him touched and sucked his private part by the roadside at Kampung Seberang, Sebuyau, at about 5.30pm on January 25, 2020.
He was charged under Section 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and punishable under Section 14 of the same Act, which carries an imprisonment not exceeding 20 years and liable to whipping.
According to the facts of the case, on the day the incident happened, the appellant asked the victim to accompany him to buy cigarettes. While they were on their way to the town of Sebuyau, the appellant punched the victim and forced him to suck his private part.
It was the victim’s mother who lodged the police report when her son told her what the appellant did to him and the victim was traumatised.
When being interrogated by the police, the appellant admitted he punched and forced the victim to suck his private part because he wanted to take revenge as the victim’s father scolded him for using his motorcycle.
Deputy public prosecutor Ronie Entili appeared for the prosecution while the appellant is unrepresented.-DayakDaily
