KOTA KINABALU: A 40-year-old man was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment and two strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here on Monday for sexually assaulting a 7-year-old girl.
Judge Hurman Hussain imposed the sentence on Jaiman Keminlian after he changed his plea to guilty on the first day of trial on Monday, and ordered the prison term to take effect from the date of conviction.
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The offence was committed at about 4.10am on Jan 16, 2024 at a house in Kampung Likas here, and the charge under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
The court heard that the accused had entered the house and pulled the victim’s hands before she shouted, after which he fled the scene and was later arrested following a police report.
In mitigation, the unrepresented accused sought leniency because his father had passed away and he needed to care for his ill mother and a brother who had suffered a stroke, while Deputy Public Prosecutor Fazriel Fardiansyah Abdul Kadir urged a deterrent sentence, citing the seriousness of the offence and public interest.
