Kota Kinabalu: A 40-year-old man charged with raping his stepdaughter as well as committing physical sexual harassment on her, will know on June 19 whether he has case to answer on the five charges.
Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan set the date for the man when his case was brought for clarification and supposed for ruling at the end of prosecution.
However, the prosecution had just seen the submission from the defence and needed time to read and later decide to reply or not.
The man faces three rape charges and two others of committing sexual abuse.
On the first to third count, the man is accused of raping the 12 years and 11-months-old girl between April and May 2023 different time in a bedroom of a house in Tamparuli, Tuaran.
The offences under Section 376(2)(d) of the Penal Code carries a jail between 10 and 30 years, and whipping, on conviction.
On the fourth count, he allegedly committed the sexual harrowing against the same girl by fondling her breasts, hugging and kissing her for sexual purpose in early January 2021 inside a bathroom of the same house in Tuaran.
On the fifth count, he is accused of committing the similar offence on the same girl by touching her private part, fondling her breasts, hugging and kissing her in January in a bedroom of the same house.
For the offences, he was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (SOACA) 2017 which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years, and whipping, on conviction.
Due the relationship with the girl, there is additional punishment under Section 16(1) of the SOACA which carries a jail term of up to five years and whipping at least two strokes.
The prosecution had called six witnesses during the hearing which started in May 2024.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Shafeerah Made Iskim conducted the prosecution while counsel Amirul Amin represented the man who was under remand.
