Kota Kinabalu: A 22-year-old man was sentenced to six years in jail and two strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court, here, Friday for sexually assaulting his underage stepsister.
The man pleaded guilty before Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan to committing the offence at about 1am, in November 2025, in the living room of a house in a village in Papar.
He was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping on conviction.
The court heard that the victim was 14 at the time of the incident.
According to the prosecution, the man, who was the victim’s stepbrother, had sexually assaulted her by kissing her on the lips and touching her breast.
The unrepresented man requested a lenient sentence, saying he regretted his actions and apologised to the court.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Safeerah Mad Iskim, prosecuting, applied for a deterrent sentence, submitting, among others, that the man had breached the trust placed in him as a family member by abusing his position while living in the same home as the vulnerable victim.
She also submitted that the victim was a child who had dropped out of school, making her particularly vulnerable and susceptible to exploitation.
The prosecution further submitted that the offence had caused serious physical and psychological impact on the victim.
Amir Shah ordered the man to serve the sentence from the date of his arrest.
The court also ordered him to undergo rehabilitative counselling while in prison and to be placed under police supervision for two years after completing his sentence.
