SIBU: A 35-year-old man was today sentenced to 36 years’ imprisonment and six strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here for committing three charges of violating Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
The accused from Mukah understood the charges read and explained to him through an interpreter and pleaded guilty to the charges before Sessions Court Judge Musyiri Peet.
Judge Musyiri sentenced him to 12 years’ imprisonment and two strokes of whipping for each charge, and ordered the sentences imposed to run consecutively.
The first charge stated that, being a person in a relationship of trust with the victim aged 16 years and five months, as her step father, had committed incest by having sexual intercourse with her at a house in Jalan Salim here on October 18 at about 8:30 am.
He was indicted on a second and third charges of committing carnal intercourse with the same victim at a house in Lorong Indah on December 2020, at about 5:00 am to 11:00 am, and another of his stepdaughter aged 15 years and six months, between May to July 2024, at about 11:00 pm to 3:00 am, respectively.
According to facts of the case, on October 25 at about 11:00 am at a house in Jalan Salim, the complainant was informed by her two daughters that they were raped by her husband since 2020.
A police report was subsequently lodged.
On the following day at about 4:25 pm, acting on information received, a team of police arrested the accused at a house in Jalan Salim.
Police investigation outcome revealed that the accused, who is the victims’ stepfather, have been living together at the house.
On October 18 at about 8:30 am, the accused had sexual intercourse with one of the victims.
Further investigation found that the accused had committed carnal intercourse on his stepdaughters on different occasions.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor, Cythia Emmelda Jerry, while the accused was not represented by legal counsel.
