SIBU: A welder was sentenced to 28 years in prison and nine strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court here Tuesday (Sept 23), for raping and sodomising his eight-year-old biological daughter.
The 39-year-old from Pasai Siong, was convicted of two counts of incest, under Section 376B of the Penal Code read with Section 16 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Soaca), as well as one count of unnatural sex under Section 377C of the Penal Code, also read with the same section of the Act.
On each count of incest, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three strokes of the cane, while for the sodomy offence, he was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment and three strokes of the cane.
The court ruled that all the three sentences should run consecutively, making the total prison term 28 years.
The offence was committed on August 20 and between Sept 1 and 3 at a longhouse.
The investigation into the case began when the victim’s school teacher informed the child’s mother about rumours claiming that the victim had been sexually abused by her own father.
Following this, the victim’s aunt took the child to the police station for further action.
On Sept 4, the victim revealed to her aunt that she had been raped by her father, and a police report was immediately made.
The welder was arrested on the same day.
Police investigation found that the victim had lived with him since December 2024, and was believed to have been absent from school for a long time due to trauma.
The victim did not dare to report the incident earlier due to fear.
In mitigation, the man, who had pleaded guilty, appealed to the court to be given a lighter sentence, expressing remorse for his actions.
However, Judge Musyiri Peet stressed that his actions amounted to a cruel and shameful crime, especially since the victim was his own child.
“You have not only broken the law, but have betrayed the trust and love that a father should protect for his child.
“What is more saddening is that the victim was only eight years old when this incident occurred,” he said before passing sentence.
The prosecution of the case was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Cynthia Emmelda Jerry.
