KUCHING, Oct 13: A man was acquitted and discharged by the Sessions Court here today on three charges of sexually assaulting his eight-year-old stepdaughter.
Judge Musli Abdul Hamid ruled today that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against the 48-year-old accused.
As a result, the court acquitted and discharged him without calling for his defense on the three charges.
According to the three charges, he was alleged to have committed these acts in a house in Matang, around January 2022 and Oct 6, 2022.
The prosecution for all three charges was conducted under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offenses Against Children Act 2017, which can be punishable under the same Act and read together with Section 16 of the same Act.
If found guilty, the accused could face up to 20 years in prison and corporal punishment.
Four prosecution witnesses were called during the trial.
The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Norshafatihah Nor Azmi. — DayakDaily
