PUTRAJAYA, Feb 14 — An unemployed man was sentenced to 30 years’ jail and eight strokes of the cane by the Special Criminal Court on Sexual Crimes Against Children here, after he pleaded guilty to raping and committing physical sexual assaults to his girlfriend’s 13-year-old daughter until she gave birth to a baby girl.
Judge Yong Zarida Sazali sentenced the 56-year-old man to 20 years’ jail and four strokes of the cane for raping and another 10 years’ jail and two strokes of the cane each of the two counts of physical sexual assault.
The court ordered that the 10-year jail term for the two counts of physical sexual assault to run concurrently after the accused completed his 20-year jail term for raping, which should begin from the date of his arrest on July 25 last year,
The court meted out the sentence yesterday after the accused changed his plea to guilty on the first day of trial. The young victim, who is still in confinement, was also present at the court.
According to the facts of the case, the accused committed the offences when her mother was not at home and the victim, who had been living with the couple since she was six, was afraid to tell her mother about the assaults as she was threatened by the accused.
As she could no longer stand the sexual assault by the accused, the victim lodged a police report on her own on July 25, 2018, secretly for fear of being beaten or further intimidated by the accused.
The accused was arrested on the same day.
The victim was then taken to Kuala Lumpur Hospital where she was confirmed to be 11-week pregnant. She gave birth to a baby girl last month.
The accused was charged with raping the victim at a house in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, at 11pm on March 27 last year. The charge, under Section 376 (2)(d) of the Penal Code, carries a jail term of up to 30 years and whipping.
He was also charged with committing sexual assaults against the victim at the same place on June 15 and 19, 2018. The charge, under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Act 2017 and read together with Section 16 of the same Act, carries a maximum 20 years imprisonment and whipping.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Noor Jazilah Mohd Yushaa prosecuted, while the man was not represented. — Bernama
