Kota Kinabalu: A 40-year-old martial arts instructor was sentenced to three years’ jail and ordered one stroke of the cane after he was found guilty of molesting his female student, three years ago.
Magistrate Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali imposed the sentence on Yuslaine Awang Yusof after a full trial.
The court also ordered Yuslaine to pay the victim RM5,000 in compensation immediately, failing which he will serve an additional two months’ jail.
The court ordered Yuslaine to serve the jail sentence from the date of his conviction.
In delivering her judgment, the Magistrate held that the defence had failed to raise a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case and found the accused guilty.
Yuslaine was convicted of using criminal force on the victim, who was then 17, with the intent to outrage her modesty on Aug 20, 2023, at 11.15pm.
The offence under Section 354 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to 10 years’ jail, or a fine, or whipping, or any combination of the punishments, on conviction.
The prosecution called seven witnesses during the trial, while the defence called two witnesses.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Akaash Singh urged the court to impose a deterrent custodial sentence with whipping, submitting that the accused had abused the trust placed in him as the victim’s silat instructor by committing the offence.
The prosecution said the victim suffered psychological trauma and delayed reporting the incident because she feared it would affect her sporting progress.
The prosecution also submitted that Yuslaine showed no remorse by claiming trial and putting the victim through a full trial, and urged the court to impose a custodial sentence with whipping as well as compensation for the victim.
