2 days ago
Religious school warden gets 6 years' jail, whipping for sodomy, sexual assault
Khairi Fitri Baharom being escorted to the Seremban sessions court today. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : A hostel warden at a religious boarding school was sentenced to six years' jail and two strokes of the rotan after pleading guilty to three of 15 charges of sexual assault, sodomy and unnatural intercourse against seven boys between 2023 and January this year.
Seremban sessions court judge Surita Budin imposed the sentence on Khairi Fitri Baharom, 38, after the charges were read out separately, reported Bernama.
The court also ordered the sentence to begin from the date of his arrest on May 25, and for him to undergo counselling sessions and police monitoring for a year after his release.
Khairi was accused of committing sexual assault against a boy aged 12 years and four months at around 11pm between Dec 15 and 20, 2023, at a warden's room in the school in Jempol.
He was also accused of sodomising the boy at around 10.30pm on Jan 7 this year and committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature without consent with another boy aged 10 years, seven months at 5pm, between April and December 2024 at the same location.
The sexual assault charge was under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792), read together with Section 16(1) of the same act, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping if convicted.
The sodomy and carnal intercourse charges were under Section 377C of the Penal Code, which provides for five to 20 years' imprisonment and whipping if convicted.
Khairi, who was unrepresented, pleaded for a light sentence as he had to care for his mother.
However, deputy public prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni asked for a sentence that was commensurate with the crime as the victims were children and the accused was responsible for their care and protection.
Khairi pleaded not guilty to 12 other charges against the same victims and five other boys aged between eight and 12 years and nine months, allegedly committed between 2024 and Jan 24 this year at the same location and at a house in Jalan Air Melana, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan.
The charges are under Sections 14(a) and 14(b) of Act 792 for sexual assault, and Section 377C of the Penal Code for carnal intercourse against the order of nature.
