IPOH: A former tahfiz school teacher was acquitted and discharged by the Sessions Court in Ipoh after it ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him.
The 29-year-old, who was also a former warden at the school, was charged with two counts of sexually assaulting a student five years ago.
He was freed without being called to enter his defence, and the court ordered his bail money to be returned.
Two people believed to be his parents were seen hugging him and crying as he walked out of the dock.
According to the charge sheet, the man faced amended charges for hugging and kissing a 13-year-old boy and rubbing his genitals against him.
Both acts were said to have occurred at the boys’ hostel of the tahfiz school in Perak at 3am in February 2020.
The charges were made under Section 14(a) and Section 14(d) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act, read together with Section 16 of the same Act.
In her judgement, Judge Jean Sharmila Jesudason said the court found contradictions and inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case that were not explained by either the police investigation or witness testimony.
“This situation, in turn, created a reasonable doubt in the court. Therefore, the court finds that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against the accused on both charges in this case,” Jean Sharmila said.
A total of 10 witnesses were called to testify since the trial began in June 2020, including the victim, his mother, a friend of the victim, and several other witnesses from the tahfiz school.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
