By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Jul 31: The High Court in Kuching has significantly reduced the prison term of a 54-year-old stepfather who admitted to sexually assaulting his 13-year-old stepdaughter, ruling that his multiple sentences should run concurrently rather than consecutively.
Judge Wong Siong Tung allowed the man’s appeal on the grounds that the original punishment was excessively harsh given his age. The court heard arguments from both the defence and the prosecution before reaching its decision.
Previously, on October 31, 2025, the Sessions Court had handed down an 18-year jail term and eight strokes of the cane for each of the three charges, ordering the sentences to be served consecutively. That ruling effectively amounted to 54 years behind bars and 24 lashes.
The stepfather had confessed to three counts of physical sexual assault under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which were read together with Section 16(1) of the same legislation.
The offences involved him groping the teenager’s chest and genital area at their family home in Bau on three separate nights on October 4, 5, and 6, 2025.
Court documents revealed that the abuse was not an isolated incident. The victim, 13, had endured similar molestation since she was just eight years old. She eventually filed a police report herself, triggering the investigation.
She had previously confided in her biological mother on multiple occasions, but her pleas were dismissed, with the mother justifying the stepfather’s actions by pointing to his role as the family’s primary provider.
Authorities eventually arrested the suspect on October 25, 2025. Investigations confirmed that over the three days in question, the man entered the girl’s room, removed her clothing, and proceeded to touch her inappropriately. The victim resisted by pushing his hands away, but the assaults continued each night.
During today’s ruling, Justice Wong emphasised that the appellant was 53 years old at the time of sentencing. Serving the original 54-year term would have kept him imprisoned well past the age of 100, far exceeding a typical human lifespan.
As such, the court allowed a partial appeal, keeping the 18-year imprisonment for each charge but ordering that they run concurrently.
The judge also reduced the caning penalty from 24 strokes to six, two for each charge. In addition, the man is required to undergo rehabilitative counselling and remain under police supervision for two years following his release.
The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Azhari Yusof, while defence counsel Patrick Voon represented the appellant. — DayakDaily
