Convict gets 15 years for abusing girl with an object
KUCHING: A convicted rapist was sentenced a total of 15 years behind bars in the Sessions Court here yesterday for sexually abusing a nine-year- old girl with an object.
Peter Liaw Ten San, 67, was convicted on his own guilty plea under Section 377(c)(a) of the Penal Code (two counts).
Judge Timothy Finlayson Joel meted out the jail sentence after considering the nature of the offences, public interest and the accused’s mitigation.
For the first charge, Liaw was sentenced to seven years in prison for committing the offence at about 5pm on April 6 this year.
For the second charge, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for committing the offence at about 2pm on April 12.
During the incident, the victim was alone in the house. The accused would drop by the house to watch television with the victim, as he and her parents’ were friends.
After learning of the incident, the victim’s mother lodged a police report.
In passing sentence, the judge said the accused had shown no remorse for committing the crime.
He noted that Liaw had earlier served 20 years in prison after being convicted of a rape charge.
“The accused seems to have succumbed to the same temptation as in 1997,” he said, adding that he had taken advantage of the girl to satisfy his sexual desire which brought him to do the despicable act.
“In passing sentence, I take note that public interest must override the interest of the accused, particularly in the offence affecting the young victim.”
He also said the accused did not show remorse even after serving the sentence for a similar offence.
“Maybe it is for his own good if he is put back in prison to learn the hard lesson that such behaviour (unnatural intercourse) will get him nowhere as it is still a crime, and the consequence is punishment in jail.”
The judge ordered his custodial sentence to run from the date of his arrest on April 14 this year.
DPP Yong Ann Nee prosecuted while Liaw was unrepresented.