PUTRAJAYA, April 16 — The Court of Appeal today upheld the 20-year jail sentence imposed on a man for raping his seven-year-old granddaughter six years ago.

The three-man bench comprising Justices Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Datuk Azman Abdullah and Datuk Azmi Ariffin dismissed the 71-year-old’s appeal for a lower jail sentence.

Justice Hadhariah said there is no merit in the man’s appeal and the court affirmed the decision of the High Court.

He was ordered to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest on August 5, 2021.

On August 16, 2021, the man was sentenced to 18 years’ jail by the Sessions Court after he pleaded guilty to raping the girl, who was seven years and seven months old, in an apartment in Kajang, Selangor at 6.30pm on April 1, 2018.

He was also ordered to go for counselling for 10 years and undergo police supervision for three years.

The man appealed to the High Court and at the same time, the prosecution cross-appealed seeking an increase in the jail term.

On March 2, 2022, the High Court allowed the prosecution’s cross-appeal and raised the jail term to 20 years.

Lawyer Muhamad Afiq Audy represented the man while deputy public prosecutor P. Sarulatha appeared for the prosecution. — Bernama