11 hours ago
PwD man sentenced to 10 years, 10 strokes for attempting to sodomise disabled boy
The accused is led away after sentencing. – Photo by Hafizah Abdul Hamid
KUCHING (June 16): A 43-year-old person with disability (PwD) was sentenced by the Sessions Court here today to 10 years in jail and 10 strokes of the cane for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old disabled boy.
Judge Zuraidah Zakaria convicted the accused on his own guilty plea to a charge under Section 14(d) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, punishable under Section 14 of the same Act, and also ordered him to undergo one year of police supervision upon his release from prison.
The offence was committed at a house in Siburan at around 8am on March 2 this year.
According to the facts of the case, the accused—an acquaintance of the victim's father—entered the family's house unnoticed and attempted to sodomise the boy in a room.
The victim's younger brother witnessed the act and alerted their elder sister who was in her own room.
She rushed to the victim's room and shouted at the accused, who fled the house but left behind his bag which contained his identity card.
The sister then informed their grandfather of the incident and he filed a police report which led to the arrest of the accused.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Fadzri Azham Zainudin prosecuted the case, while the accused was not represented.
During a previous proceeding on March 12, Sessions Court Judge Afidah Abdul Rahman granted an application by deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Aiman Mutallib Mohamad Shariff to refer the accused to Sentosa Hospital for psychiatric observation for a month, as the accused was reportedly mentally unstable and has learning disabilities.
The observation found the accused to be mentally fit and able to stand trial. Court disabled boy person with disability sexual assault
