KOTA KINABALU: A 45-year-old lorry attendant was sentenced to a total of 16 years in jail and two strokes of the cane after pleading guilty midway through his trial for physically sexually harassing his stepdaughter on two separate occasions.
Sessions Court Judge Hurman Hussain imposed the sentences on Tuesday. On the first charge, the man received eight years’ jail and one stroke of the cane for touching the 13-year-old victim’s private parts in the living room of their Penampang house in July 2023.
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On the second charge, he was sentenced to another eight years’ jail and one stroke of the cane for touching her breasts and hips in the kitchen of the same house in June 2024. The victim was 13 and 14 years old at the time of the incidents and is now 15.
The offences were committed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping.
The court ordered the sentences to run consecutively from the date of his arrest and mandated rehabilitative counselling during imprisonment.
The unrepresented man pleaded for leniency, citing family responsibilities.
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However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Fazriel Fardiansyah Abdul Kadir urged a deterrent sentence, arguing that the accused had abused his position of trust as a stepfather and committed repeated acts against the child.
