a day ago
Miri man gets total 10 years' jail, 4 lashes for sexually abusing 10-year-old daughter
Photo for illustration purposes only.
MIRI (July 4): The Sessions Court here today sentenced a 60-year-old man to a total of 10 years in prison and four strokes of the cane for sexually abusing his daughter in 2021.
Judge Afidah Abdul Rahman convicted the man on his own guilty plea to a charge under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (SOAC) 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same Act.
Section 14(a) provides for up to 20 years in prison and caning, while Section 16(1) provides for additional punishment not exceeding five years and no fewer than two strokes of the rotan upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, at around 10am on Sept 2, 2021, in a rented room, the accused sexually abused his then 10-year-old daughter by touching and inserting his finger into the victim's private part twice.
The investigation found that victim is the accused's illegitimate daughter.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohammad Asymawi Ghazali had earlier informed the court that the case was scheduled to continue today and would see three more prosecution witnesses called to testify.
However, the unrepresented accused subsequently informed the court that he wished to change his plea to guilty.
For the offence under Section 14(a), the accused was sentenced to eight years in prison and two strokes of the cane, while for the offence under Section 16(1), he received two years in prison and two strokes of the cane.
However, the accused will only serve eight years in prison effective from the date of his arrest on July 18, 2023, after the court ordered for both sentences to run concurrently.
Additionally, the court also ordered the accused to undergo counselling sessions during his imprisonment and to remain under police supervision for two years after his release. Afidah Abdul Rahman lead Miri Sessions Court Mohammad Asymawi Ghazali
