Kota Kinabalu: A local man was acquitted of three counts of sexually assaulting his 12-year-old daughter seven years ago.
Sessions Court Judge Marlina Ibrahim acquitted and discharged him after ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt over the alleged offences in Beaufort on Sept 1, 2 and 3, 2019.
The charges, under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, carry up to 20 years’ imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
In a separate case, Sessions Court Judge Monica Linsua ordered shop assistant Lai Hiap Lee, 48, to enter his defence on a charge of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl at a premises in Jalan Kobusak Nosoob, Penampang, on May 18, 2025.
The court fixed Oct 22 for Lai’s defence after ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against him, with his bail extended pending proceedings.
