A 79-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 10 lashes by the Sessions Court here today after being found guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl with disabilities two years ago.
Judge Suhailla Selag handed down the sentence after the court was satisfied that the defence had failed to raise any reasonable doubt at the conclusion of the trial.
The accused, an undocumented Indonesian national, was charged with raping the victim, a girl with intellectual disabilities, at an unnumbered house in Lahad Datu in 2024. He faced prosecution under Section 376(2) of the Penal Code (Malaysia), which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
The trial, which began on February 9, saw the prosecution led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Juhn Tao call eight witnesses, while the accused, who was unrepresented, chose to testify in his own defence under oath.
In his closing arguments, Ng Juhn Tao emphasised that in cases involving sexual offences against children, public interest must be a primary consideration, particularly when the victim is a child with disabilities. He urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence to send a clear message that sexual offences against children are taken seriously and will be punished firmly.
The court ordered that the prison sentence take effect from the date of conviction and directed the accused to undergo rehabilitation counselling throughout his imprisonment under Section 26 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
In addition, the court instructed that the accused be referred to the Immigration Department Malaysia for deportation upon completion of his prison term.
