Kota Kinabalu: A 27-year-old sundry shop worker who sexually harassed an underaged girl, was jailed seven years and ordered given two strokes of the cane.
Julaspi Andan Pasan pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus, Wednesday.
He committed the offence against the 16-year-old girl by rubbing his private part on the girl’s thigh between 3pm and 4pm on Dec 16, 2021 at the store of a shop in Jalan Kg Kobong, Pulau Banggi, Kudat.
The offence 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.
The court also ordered Julaspi to be placed under police supervision for two years after completing his jail sentence.
During mitigation, counsel Dominic Chew, asked for a lenient sentence saying that Julaspi has parents to look after.
Chew said by pleading guilty to the charge, Julaspi had saved the court’s time and was remorseful.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Tham Phou Jin urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence to serve as lesson to Julaspi and would-be offenders.
Tham submitted that during the incident, the victim was 16-year-old and traumatised after the incident which caused her to quit her job.
She further told the court that there was no evidence to prove that both Julaspi and the victim were in a relationship.
The court heard that the incident happened when Julaspi and the victim were inside the store.
Julaspi had rubbed his private part on the girl’s thigh as he could not insert his private part into the girl’s.
After the incident, Julaspi told the victim not to reveal the incident to others and the victim did not tell others as she was fearful and traumatised.
But on Jan 5 this year, she revealed the incident to her cousin after telling her why she wanted to quit her job.
The cousin then brought the victim to the police station and Julaspi was arrested.
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