A 69-year-old man has been sentenced to a total of 30 years in prison and eight strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court for sexually assaulting two young girls who were his neighbours in Petra Jaya.
The accused pleaded guilty to two charges under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
The offence carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
Judge Iris Awen Jon sentenced the man to 15 years in jail and four strokes of the cane for the first offence, effective immediately.
Meanwhile, Judge Noorhisham Mohd Jaafar imposed another 15-year prison sentence and four strokes of the cane for the second offence, ordering the sentence to run consecutively after completion of the first jail term.
Both courts also ordered the accused to undergo rehabilitation and counselling throughout his imprisonment period.
Additionally, the accused was placed under police supervision for several years after serving his sentence.
According to court documents, the first offence involved a 12-year-old girl at the accused’s house in a village in Petra Jaya at around 4pm on May 11.
The second offence involved another victim, who was eight years old at the time, at the same location on Aug 20, 2023.
Investigations revealed that the victims informed their family members about the abuse, leading to a police report being lodged before the suspect was arrested on May 14.
The accused was known to the victims as he frequently visited their home and occasionally took them out for meals.
In one of the incidents, the man allegedly lured the older victim by offering her access to a mobile phone and promising to take her out before committing the offence.
Police said the accused also warned the victims not to tell anyone about the incidents.
The abuse reportedly left both children traumatised and fearful, with the younger victim still remembering the incident clearly because it occurred on her birthday.
The prosecution was handled separately by deputy public prosecutors Chuah Kai Sheng and Marvind Kaliyani.
The accused was not represented by legal counsel during the proceedings.
