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In Seremban, hostel warden jailed six years, whipped twice for sodomy, sexual abuse of male students
KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — A hostel warden at a Quranic learning centre has been sentenced to six years in prison and two strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court in Seremban today after pleading guilty to three out of 15 charges involving physical sexual abuse, sodomy, and unnatural sex against seven male students between 2023 and January this year.
Judge Datin Surita Budin handed down the sentence against Mohd Khairi Fitri Baharom, 38, after the three charges were read separately in court, according to a report published by Bernama today.
The court also ordered the prison term to begin from the date of his arrest on May 25.
The accused must also undergo rehabilitation counselling and be placed under police supervision for one year following his release.
According to the charges, Mohd Khairi Fitri was accused of committing physical sexual abuse against a boy aged 12 years and four months at around 11pm between December 15 and 20, 2023, in a warden's room at the learning centre in Jempol.
He was also charged with sodomising the same victim at around 10.30pm on January 7, 2025, and with committing unnatural sex on another boy, aged 10 years and 7 months, at around 5pm between April and December 2024, at the same location.
These offences fall under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
He was also charged under Section 377C of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of no less than five years and up to 20 years, along with whipping.
Unrepresented during the mitigation process, the accused pleaded for leniency, stating he still has a mother to care for.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence, stressing that the offences involved children and that the accused had betrayed his duty as someone responsible for their care and protection.
Separately, Mohd Khairi Fitri pleaded not guilty to 12 other charges involving the same victims and five additional boys aged between eight and 12 years and nine months.
These incidents allegedly took place between 2024 and January 24, 2025, both at the learning centre and a house on Jalan Air Melana, Kuala Pilah.
These charges were framed under Sections 14(a) and 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and Section 377C of the Penal Code.
The court has fixed July 14 for mention of the case and the appointment of legal counsel.
