Man gets seven years, one lash for kissing boy

KOTA KINABALU: The Sessions Court here yesterday sentenced a man to seven years behind bars plus one stroke of the cane for committing sexual assault against a boy.

Judge Azreena Aziz meted out the sentences on Alias Azrin Alias Rahmad, 20, after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 14 (d) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

The indictment carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping, upon conviction.

The accused was arrested for kissing the mouth of the nineyear-old victim in a toilet at an unnumbered house in Beaufort on November 18, 2020.

The court also ordered that the accused be placed under police supervision for one year.

The facts of the case stated that before the incident, the accused, the victim, the victim’s relative and a friend were spending time together at the house of the relative. After drinking traditional local liquor ‘montoku’ and after the victim’s cousin and a friend fell asleep, the accused asked the victim to go to the toilet by claiming that he wanted to give him money.

However, when they were in the toilet, the accused kissed the victim’s mouth.