A 32-year-old local man has been sentenced to 33 years’ imprisonment and 20 whipping after being found guilty of sexually assaulting his two minored nephews.
Judicial Commissioner Haji Abdullah Soefri bin POKSM DSP Haji Abidin handed down the sentence on October 2 after ruling that the defendant was guilty of two charges of carnal intercourse against the order of nature.
During the trial, the defendant (name was redacted to protect the identity of the victims), denied all accusations and questioned the prosecution witnesses about their lack of proof or evidence, apart from the victims’ testimonies. The witnesses, except for Boy A and Boy B, admitted they had no direct evidence, which the court acknowledged is typical in sexual offence cases where the victims are often the only eyewitnesses.
The Judicial Commissioner ruled that there was no reason or motive for the complainants or their families to fabricate their testimony, emphasising that the evidence from both Boy A and Boy B was not coerced. He further noted that both victims, along with other prosecution witnesses, were credible.
The defendant himself had admitted it was unusual for boys as young as Boy A and Boy B to provide such detailed stories against their uncle. The court found their testimonies truthful based on their firsthand experiences.
The first charge involved an incident in 2020 where the defendant committed carnal intercourse against the order of nature with Boy A, who was under 14 years old at the time. The second charge related to a similar offence committed in 2019 against Boy B, who was also a minor.
Apart from proving the case beyond the court’s reasonable doubt, Prosecutor Ahmad Firdaus Mohammad submitted on sentencing which was taken into account by the court.
In delivering the sentence, the Judicial Commissioner emphasised the severity of the crimes, noting the strong public interest in deterring sexual offences involving young victims. He stressed the importance of protecting society, especially children, from sexual predators, and highlighted that the punishment would serve as a deterrent for potential offenders. – FADLEY FAISAL
