By Dorcas Ting
SRI AMAN, Aug 22: A stepfather was sentenced to a total of 51 years in prison by the High Court here after it allowed the prosecution’s appeal to increase the sentence for sexually abusing his 11-year-old stepdaughter on three occasions last year.
The 39-year-old had pleaded guilty to all three charges involving the girl, who was 11 years and 10 months old when the offences occurred.
The offences were committed on Oct 30, Oct 31, and Nov 10, 2025, at a workers’ quarters in Betong.
Justice Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah found that the Sessions Court erred in law in how it structured the sentences.
The Sessions Court had initially sentenced the defendant to 15 years’ imprisonment under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (SOACA), with the sentence to run from his date of arrest on Nov 27, 2025.
He was also sentenced to an additional two years’ imprisonment under Section 16(1) of the same Act, together with two strokes of whipping.
The two-year sentence was likewise ordered to run from the date of his arrest.
For each charge, the Sessions Court also ordered the defendant to undergo rehabilitative counselling under Section 26(1) of SOACA and one year of police supervision under Section 27(1) upon completing his prison sentence.
However, the High Court ruled that the two-year imprisonment term under Section 16(1) should run consecutively with the 15-year term imposed under Section 14(a), rather than running from the date of arrest.
The High Court therefore calculated the sentence at 17 years for each of the three charges.
With the sentences ordered to run consecutively, he was sentenced to a total of 51 years in prison.
The court maintained the two strokes of whipping for each charge, as well as the rehabilitative counselling and one-year police supervision.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jonathan Lim Hsi How represented the prosecution, while YBGK counsel Hani Iryani represented the offender. — DayakDaily
