KUCHING, Dec 5: A teacher claimed trial yesterday to 17 counts of committing physical sexual assault against 17 male students of a college at Jalan Sultan Tengah.
Shahbudin Beddu, 28, was charged in two separate Sessions Courts here yesterday. He pleaded not guilty to all 17 charges framed against him.
Sessions Court Judge Marutin Pagan and Sessions Court Judge Mohd Taufik fixed pre-trial case management for Jan 7, 2019.
He was charged with 17 counts under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 which is punishable under Section 14 of the same act and to be read together with Section 16 of the same act for physically and sexually assaulting the 17 students at the college’s hostel, teachers’ quarters and male dormitory, between Jan and May 2018.
If found guilty, Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children 2017 provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and the accused is also liable to whipping upon conviction.
As for Section 16 of the Sexual Offences Against Children 2017 outlines, if a person who commits any offence under this Act or any offence specified in the schedule against a Child, is in a relationship of trust with the child, such person shall in addition be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years and shall be punished with whipping of not less than two strokes. — DayakDaily
