TAWAU: An Indonesian father of 10 was jailed a total of 20 years and ordered to be given eight lashes of the cane by the Sessions Court here, Monday, on two counts of committing physical sexual assault on his two daughters.
The 50-year-old plantation labourer pleaded guilty before High Court Deputy Registrar Amir Shah Amir Hassan, who sat as a judge, to both charges.
He was sentenced to 10 years’ jail and ordered to be caned four times on each count.
He was found guilty of committing the crimes against his then 17-year-old daughter at 10pm, at the end of August 2020, and his then 15-year-old daughter, at 11pm in January, 2021, at the plantation workers’ house in Kalabakan.
The court ordered the man to serve the sentences consecutively from the date of his arrest on Jan 11, this year and to be referred to the Immigration Department thereafter.
In his judgement, Amir Shah held that the offence was grave and serious, taking into account the public interest and the emotional trauma of the victims involved.
Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Suhaimi Suriana applied for a deterrent sentence, citing public interest and both victims were the man’s own children.
Duty counsel Jhassary P Kang, representing the labourer, requested for a lenient sentence, saying he had repented and regretted his actions, and has 10 children to look after.
Each count under Section 14 a) of the Sexual Offences against Children Act 2017 provides for a jail term of up to 20 years, and whipping, on conviction.
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