33 years, 14 strokes for raping two stepdaughters

KOTA KINABALU: A 43-year-old stepfather was sentenced to a total of 33 years’ jail plus 14 strokes of the cane for two counts of raping his two stepdaughters.

Sessions Court judge Marlina Ibrahim imposed the sentence on the man after finding the latter guilty of the offence charged under Section 376 (3) of the Penal Code.

The indictment carries a jail term of not less than eight years and not more than 30 years and whipping of not less than 10 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.

On the first count, the man was sentenced to 15 years’ jail plus seven strokes of the cane for raping his stepdaughter, aged 10 years and 10 months at a house in a village in Keningau around 9pm until midnight in March, 2015.

On the second count, the man received another 18 years’ jail plus seven strokes of whipping for raping his other stepdaughter aged nine years and eight months, at the same place around the same time in January, 2014.

The prosecution called nine witnesses to testify against the stepfather while the defence produced three witnesses during the trial.

The court ordered the stepfather to serve his imprisonment starting from the day of his arrest on June 24, 2016.

Counsel Arthur Bonnie, who represented the stepfather, applied for a stay of execution, pending his appeal at the High Court but was rejected by the court.

In a separate case, another man was sentenced to 15 years and eight strokes of whipping by the same court for committing a similar offence towards his own daughter.

Marlina passed the sentence on the father after the latter chose to remain silent and was found guilty of the offence framed under Section 376 (3) of the Penal Code.

The father had raped his 12year-old daughter at a house in a village in Kota Belud at midnight on August 28, 2013.

The prosecution called seven witnesses throughout the trial.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Akmalzatul Mohamed Nawi acted for the prosecution.