By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Oct 31: A 53-year-old man was sentenced to 54 years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here today for repeatedly molesting his 13-year-old stepdaughter.
Judge Musli Abdul Hamid handed down the sentence after the accused pleaded guilty to three counts of physical sexual assault under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (SOACA) 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same Act.
According to the charges, the man had committed the offences at their home on October 4, 5, and 6 at about 10pm by groping the victim’s chest and private parts.
For each of the three counts under Section 14(a), Musli imposed a 15-year jail term and six strokes of the cane. He also sentenced the accused to an additional three years’ imprisonment and two strokes under Section 16(1) of the Act.
All sentences are to run consecutively, resulting in a total of 54 years in jail and 24 strokes.
According to the case facts, the victim herself lodged a police report, revealing that her stepfather had been sexually assaulting her since she was eight years old. The abuse, which continued until she turned 13, left her deeply traumatised.
Investigations also revealed that the victim had tried several times to inform her biological mother, but her complaints were ignored as the stepfather was considered the family’s main breadwinner.
Police arrested the accused on October 25 in a village following the report.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Aiman Mutallib Mohamad Shariff urged the court to impose a severe sentence, emphasising the serious trauma suffered by the victim. — DayakDaily
