By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Sept 4: A 48-year-old man was sentenced to six years and four months in prison, along with four strokes of the cane, for sexually assaulting his six-year-old grandniece.
Sessions Court Judge Iris Awen Jon handed down the sentence following the man’s guilty plea under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (SOACA) 2017. This section carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and whipping upon conviction.
The charge was combined with Section 16(1) of the same Act, which adds a further penalty of up to five years in prison and at least two strokes of the cane if convicted.
For the offense under Section 14(a) of SOACA 2017, the court sentenced the man to six years and four months in prison, along with two strokes of the cane, effective immediately. Additionally, under Section 16(1) of SOACA 2017, the man was sentenced to an additional two years and five months in prison, with two more strokes of the cane, also effective immediately.
The court also ordered the man to undergo rehabilitation counseling and placed him under police supervision for three years after serving his sentence.
The man was charged with sexually assaulting the young victim on Aug 21, 2024, around 5pm in a village in Bau.
The case facts revealed that a police officer was alerted by a doctor at Bau Hospital regarding a suspected sexual assault involving a young girl. The doctor reported that the victim had been brought to the hospital by her mother for treatment.
The police promptly made an arrest the following day.
The investigation revealed that on the day of the incident, the victim was playing with her sister in front of their house when the man approached on a motorcycle and offered to take the girl to buy ice cream.
However, instead of taking her for ice cream, the man took the victim to a riverside location in a village in Bau, where he sexually assaulted her.
After the assault, the man took the girl to buy ice cream.
The girl’s mother took her to the hospital after the child complained of pain in her genital area.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohammad Fauzan Zamri led the prosecution, while the accused was not represented by a lawyer. — DayakDaily
