By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, May 25: A 54-year-old male teacher pleaded not guilty to a charge of touching the private parts of a 17-year-old male student.
The teacher pleaded not guilty to the charge framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, and read together with Section 16 of the same Act.
Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, provides imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping, upon conviction, while Section 16 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 provides imprisonment of up to 5 years and a minimum two strokes of the cane, upon conviction.
According to the charge, the accused was found to have sexually physically assaulted the 17-year-old boy by touching his private parts at a school, at about 12.05pm on April 15, 2022.
The accused’s counsel, Roland Thomas urged the Court to release the accused on bail as the accused had been a teacher at a government school in Matang for more than 22 years and had excellent achievement in his work.
He said the accused teaches Mathematics, Additional Mathematics and Physics.
Sessions Court Judge Afidah Abdul Rahman released the accused on a bail of RM10,000 and with two local sureties. The case is set for mention on June 27.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Aiman Mutallib Mohamad Shariff prosecuted. — DayakDaily
