SEREMBAN, May 8 — A man was sentenced to 20 years in prison and five lashes by the Sessions Court today after pleading guilty to raping his daughter from the age of 12 until she gave birth.
In handing down the sentence upon the 44-year-old, Judge Mohamad Kamil Nizam said the offence committed by the accused was a serious crime.
As a result of the accused’s actions, his daughter was traumatised and left with severe psychological scars.
“You, as a father, are entrusted to take care of your children but you have done the opposite.
“I am aware of the fact that the victim filed a complaint after her parents were arrested by the police for another case…the victim must have felt unsafe staying at home during that period,” he said.
According to the charge, the man was accused of having intercourse with his 18-year-old daughter in a village in Port Dickson on November 2, 2022, in accordance with Section 376B (1) of the Code, which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 30 years and whipping.
Based on the case facts, the victim made a police report stating that she was raped by the accused from the age of 12 until April 21 this year.
The teenager never reported the matter to anyone until her mother and the accused were arrested in a narcotics case that made the complainant come forward to file a police report on May 1.
The complainant suspected that she was pregnant in December 2022 and gave birth on August 17, 2023, in a hospital. The accused and the complainant’s mother had handed over the child to another person without the complainant’s knowledge.
Earlier, the father of four, who was unrepresented, appealed for a lighter sentence on the grounds that he has a young child and a wife who suffers from health problems.
Deputy Public Prosecutor M. Kalaivaanan requested the court to sentence the accused to imprisonment for a long period as well as whipping, as the offence committed by the accused is a serious criminal case.
Meanwhile, in a different Sessions Court, the accused and his 45-year-old wife were also charged together for possession of drugs, believed to be yaba pills, weighing 32.83g.
The pair are accused of committing the offence at the same place at 2.30am on April 28. According to Section 12 (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, they can be punished under Section 39A (2) of the same Act, which provides for imprisonment for life or a term of not less than five years and whipping.
The accused pleaded guilty,, but his wife did not when the charges were read before Judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi.
Deputy public prosecutor Syamimi Farhana Muhammad A Aziz handled the case, and the accused was not represented by a lawyer. The court set July 4 for re-mention of the case.
— Bernama
