Teacher charged with sexual crime on pupil
PUTRAJAYA: A male teacher of a primary school was charged in the Special Court For Sexual Crimes Against Children yesterday with committing sexual physical contact on a nine-year-old male pupil.
The 27-year-old teacher, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
He was charged with committing the offence by hugging and kissing the boy in a toilet of a school in Petaling Jaya between August 2016 and July 17 this year.
The charge, under Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16, carries an imprisonment for up to 25 years and whipping.
Judge Yong Zarida Sazali allowed the accused, represented by lawyer Farhan Read, bail of RM10,000 in one surety and also ordered him to not intimidate or go near the victim or his family members until disposal of the case.
He was also ordered to report himself at the nearest police station every month and to surrender his passport to the court. The court set Sept 25 for mention. In another case, a man was charged in the same court with raping his 15-year-old girlfriend, who had subsequently given birth.
The accused, aged 21, however, pleaded not guilty to the rape charge.
He was alleged to have raped the girl in a house in Subang Jaya in October last year.
The charge, under Section 376 of the Penal Code, provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and whipping.
Deputy public prosecutor Nordalina Ali did not offer bail as the offence was serious, adding that the girl gave birth to a baby last July.
“The baby’s DNA report has yet to be obtained. The baby was born last July and I fear the accused will intimidate the prosecution witness, especially the victim, if he is allowed bail,” she said.
However, lawyer M. Tharuma Ratnam, representing the accused, requested the court to allow his client bail as there was no possibility of him fleeing.
Yong Zarida then set bail at RM10,000 and ordered the accused not to disturb the victim.
She also set Sept 26 for mention. – Bernama