By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, June 30: A 42-year-old cobbler was sentenced to 12 years in prison and four strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here today after he admitted to committing incest against his 13-year-old niece.
Judge Saiful Bahari Adzmi ordered that the prison term begin from the date of the man’s arrest on May 30, 2025. He also imposed an additional two years of police supervision after the completion of the sentence.
The court further directed the accused to undergo rehabilitation counselling while serving his sentence, in accordance with Section 26 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (SOACA) 2017.
The incident occurred around 2am on April 4 this year in a house in Petra Jaya. The victim was 13 years and three months old at the time.
The accused was charged under Section 376B(1) of the Penal Code for incest, read together with Section 16(1) of the SOACA 2017.
The offence carries a jail term of no less than 10 years and up to 30 years, along with whipping. SOACA provides for an additional jail term of up to five years and at least two strokes of the cane.
The court ordered two strokes under the Penal Code and another two under SOACA, totalling four.
According to the case facts, the abuse came to light after the victim confided in her mother, who is the accused’s biological sister. A police report was subsequently lodged, leading to the man’s arrest in late May.
Court records also revealed that the accused had previously been sentenced in June 2025 to five years in prison and two strokes of the cane for repeated use of amphetamine and methamphetamine. That conviction was under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, punishable under Section 39C(1)(b) of the same Act.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Umi Syukriah Harun led the prosecution. The accused was not represented by a lawyer. — DayakDaily
