A 43-year-old permanent resident pleaded guilty midway through his trial in the High Court to 15 charges of sexual offences involving two of his nieces.
The defendant initially denied the charges but changed his plea to guilty midway through the trial, for the charges brought against him, including rape, sexual assault, as well as unauthorised recording of the sexual acts.
The defendant, a widower with two young sons, was in a position of trust, regularly caring for his nieces, Miss A and Miss B, who are now revealed to have been subjected to continuous sexual abuse by the defendant from a very young age.
The offences took place over several years and were only brought to light following a police report lodged by the victims’ mother in July 2022.
The defendant’s abusive actions began in 2011 when Miss A was seven years old. The abuse included forcing her into various sexual acts, which escalated over time, culminating in rape and non-consensual recordings of these vile acts.
The defendant continued to exploit Miss A until 2022, often using his position as her uncle and caretaker to intimidate and manipulate her into compliance.
In one incident, when the defendant’s wife was bedridden in the living room, the defendant brought Miss A, who was 18 at the time, into another room to sexually abuse her and recorded the act. In another incident, shortly after his wife’s death in 2022, the defendant raped Miss A while his two younger sons were in the same room.
Similarly, Miss B was also subjected to sexual abuse by the defendant from the age of seven. The defendant’s predatory behaviour towards her included two instances of rape, three occasions of forcing Miss B to commit sexual acts whilst recording these acts without her consent.
The arrest of the defendant on July 19, 2022, following the report by the victims’ mother, led to a comprehensive police investigation.
Information technology forensics on the defendant’s mobile phone uncovered numerous obscene video files and images in relation to the victims.
The defendant had been in remand since his arrest.
Judicial Commissioner Muhammed Faisal bin Pehin Datu Juragan Laila Diraja Colonel (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Haji Kefli adjourned the case to September 14 to allow Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Fitri Kiprawi and Prosecutor Abdul Hanan bin Haji Erwan to submit on sentencing. – Fadley Faisal
