Kota Kinabalu: A 52-year-old lorry driver who committed sexual physical harassment against his stepdaughter, was jailed seven years plus two strokes of the cane.
Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan meted out the sentence to the man who pleaded guilty to the charge against him on Thursday.
The man had committed the offence against the 13-year-old girl by kissing her cheeks and mouth at 7.30pm on Nov 28 this year by the roadside of a junction to a village in Papar.
The offence was under Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 carries a jail term of up to 20 years, and whipping, upon conviction.
The court also ordered the man to serve the jail sentence from the date of his arrest and to be placed under police supervision for two years after completing the jail for.
In handing down the sentence, the court had considered the public interest and several factors.
He noticed that that such cases were increasing.
“This court is rained with such cases,” the court said, adding that the sentence imposed on the man could serve as a warning and lesson not only to the man but public at large.
During mitigation, the man asked for leniency, saying that he has a child and a mother to look after.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Shafeerah Mad Iskim urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, submitting that it was serious offence and rampant nowadays.
She said the court should also considered the trauma suffered by the victim.
