KUCHING: A local man was released and acquitted by the Sessions Court here today (Oct 13) on three charges of sexually assaulting his eight-year-old stepdaughter.
Judge Musli Abdul Hamid, in his decision, found that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against the 48-year-old accused.
As a result, the court released and acquitted him without calling for a defence on the three charges.
According to all three charges, he allegedly committed these acts in a house in Matang, around January 2022 and October 6, 2022.
The prosecution for all three charges falls under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which can be punished under Section 14 of the same Act and read together with Section 16 of the same Act.
Upon conviction, he could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison and may be subjected to caning.
A total of four prosecution witnesses were called during the trial.
The prosecution was led by deputy public prosecutor Norshafatihah Nor Azmi, while the accused was not represented by a lawyer.