KUCHING: The Sessions Court here ordered a local man, accused of sexually assaulting a boy with a learning disability, to undergo a 30-day psychiatric evaluation.
Judge Afidah Abdul Rahman issued the order following an application by Deputy Public Prosecutor, Mohamad Aiman Mutallib Mohamad Shariff, to have the 43-year-old suspect examined at Kota Sentosa Hospital under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Earlier, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, punishable under the same Act.
Upon conviction, the man may face imprisonment for a term of up to 20 years and caning.
He was charged with sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy at Batu 53, Jalan Kuching-Serian, at around 8 am on March 2.
The prosecution requested the psychiatric evaluation following concerns over the accused’s mental state and unstable thought patterns.
The court scheduled April 14 for a case re-mention to review the findings of the mental assessment.
The accused appeared without legal representation in court.
