By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, Jan 12: A 51-year-old man from Simunjan has been sentenced to 65 years in jail and 36 strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court as he was found guilty of three counts of raping his then 16-year-old daughter, resulting in her pregnancy.
Judge Iris Awen Jon delivered the verdict at the conclusion of the prosecution’s case.
For the first two charges, the man received a 20-year jail term with 12 strokes of the cane for each charge. The judge ruled that these punishments would run concurrently from today.
In the case of the third charge, the man was sentenced to 25 years in jail with 12 strokes of the cane. This sentence is to run consecutively after completing the time for the first two offences.
Consequently, the father is facing a total of 45 years behind bars and 36 strokes of the cane.
Additionally, Judge Iris ordered the father to undergo rehabilitative counselling during his detention under Section 26 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (SOACA) 2017.
Furthermore, he is mandated to undergo police supervision for two years after serving his sentences under Section 27 of the same Act.
The charges against the man were framed under Section 376(3) of the Penal Code, read together with Section 16 of the SOACA 2017. This section carries a jail term of between eight and 30 years and caning of not less than ten strokes. Section 16 of the SOACA 2017 provides an imprisonment term of up to five years and a minimum of two strokes of the cane.
The crimes occurred in a Simunjan longhouse in March, April, and May 2020. The victim, who was 16 years old at the time, said her father committed the acts when her mother and siblings were not at home.
Fearful of her father’s temper and the potential backlash from other family members, she initially remained silent.
Subsequently, the victim took a pregnancy test, confirming her pregnancy. The father was arrested on September 27, 2020. A chemist report dated January 13, 2021, established the biological relationship between the father and the child.
The prosecution called eight witnesses, including the victim, her mother, several doctors, and the police.
DPP Mohamad Aiman Mutallib Mohamad Shariff prosecuted the case, while the accused was unrepresented by legal counsel. — DayakDaily
