SANDAKAN: The Sessions Court on Tuesday sentenced an illegal immigrant to 22 years’ imprisonment and 44 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to two charges of raping and sodomising his underage stepdaughter in 2023 and this year.
Judge Roslinda Razali handed down the sentence after the man admitted to the charges.
The court heard from the prosecution that the first incident occurred in mid-May 2023, when the victim was eight years old, at about 8am in the victim’s room at a house in a village here.
The second incident occurred at another house in the same village on April 29 this year at about 5am, when the victim was 11 years old.
Investigations also found that the victim told investigators she had been raped multiple times by the man but could only recall two incidents.
The abuse came to light after the victim told her school friends about her ordeal. A teacher was informed and subsequently notified the victim’s biological mother, who lodged a police report on the same day.
The victim also underwent a medical examination.
For the first charge under Section 376(3) of the Penal Code, the court sentenced the man to 20 years’ imprisonment from the date of his arrest and 20 strokes of the cane.
He was also sentenced to one year’s imprisonment and two strokes of the cane under Section 16(1) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, with the sentence ordered to run consecutively.
For the second charge under Section 377C of the Penal Code, the man was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment from the date of his arrest and 20 strokes of the cane.
In addition, he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment and two strokes of the cane under Section 16(1) of the same Act, with the sentence also ordered to run consecutively.
The court ordered all sentences to run concurrently except for the two sentences imposed under Section 16(1) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which are to run consecutively.
The court also ordered that the man be referred to the Immigration Department for deportation after completing his sentence.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Yuvan Bharathan appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented.
