A 67-year-old retiree has been sentenced to 33 years in prison and 14 strokes of the cane after admitting to raping and sexually assaulting his two granddaughters.
Sessions Court Judge Mohd Khairi Haron handed down the sentence after accepting the accused’s guilty plea to five charges involving the two sisters.
Under the first and fourth charges, the father of three was accused of committing physical sexual assault against his 12-year-old granddaughter at a house in Batu Pahat.
The offences were committed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16 of the same Act.
Section 14(a) provides for a prison sentence of up to 20 years and whipping, while Section 16 allows for an additional jail term of up to five years and a minimum of two strokes of the cane.
For the second and third charges, the accused admitted to raping the same victim at the residence between January and December last year.
The charges were framed under Section 376(2)(d) of the Penal Code, which carries a punishment of up to 30 years’ imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
Meanwhile, under the fifth charge, the retiree was accused of committing physical sexual assault against the victim’s younger sister, who was nine years old at the time of the offence.
The incident was also alleged to have taken place at the same house during the same period last year.
The prosecution was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Ameerah Allaudeen, while the accused was not represented by legal counsel.
In addition to the prison sentence and whipping, the court ordered the retiree to undergo counselling sessions throughout his imprisonment.
The court also directed that he be placed under police supervision for three years upon completing his sentence, in accordance with Sections 26 and 27 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
The case underscores the severe penalties imposed for sexual crimes against children and the courts’ commitment to protecting young victims from abuse.
