SIBU, Sept 4 — The Sessions Court here today sentenced a man to a total of 30 years’ imprisonment and 14 strokes of the cane for repeatedly raping his underage stepdaughter over a period of four years.
The accused, 31, was charged with four counts of incest under Section 376B of the Penal Code read together with Section 16 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
He pleaded guilty before Judge Stella Augustine Druce to three amended charges under the same Section.
For the first and second charge, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison and five strokes of the cane each, along with an additional two years and two strokes under Section 16 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2001 for each charge.
For the third charge, however, the court granted him a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.
The accused claimed trial to the fourth charge, with the court fixing Oct 2, 2025 for pre-trial case management.
The crime came to light after the victim sought medical attention for a stomachache on August 20, during which a doctor confirmed she was six months pregnant.
Acting on a report lodged, police arrested the accused and his wife — the girl’s biological mother — on August 21.
Investigations revealed the victim had been raped by the accused since 2021 when she was 11 years old.
The victim recalled the first incident happened in January 2021 between 6pm and 11.59pm in her bedroom.
Meanwhile in the same courtroom, the accused’s wife was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and 240 hours of community service for allowing her daughter to be sexually abused by her husband.
The 35-year-old woman pleaded guilty to a charge framed under Section 31(1)(b) of the Child Act 2001, which provides a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 20 years, or both, upon conviction.
The court also ordered her to execute a RM30,000 undeposited bond of good behaviour with two local sureties for six months after serving her sentence.
She committed the offence between 2021 and 2025 at a longhouse in Kanowit.
Investigations revealed the accused knew that her husband had raped her daughter, with three of the latest incidents taking place in June this year.
Deputy public prosecutor Cynthia Emmelda Jerry prosecuted, while both accused were not represented. — The Borneo Post
* If you are experiencing sexual violence, the following hotlines offer free and confidential support: Talian Kasih at 15999 or WhatsApp 019-2615999 (24/7); All Women’s Action Society at 016-2374221/016-2284221 (9.30am-5.30pm); and Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) at 03-30008858 or SMS/WhatsApp TINA 018-9888058 (24/7)
