SIBU: A man has been ordered behind bars for 24 years and to be given eight lashes of the rotan by the Sessions Court on Wednesday (Jan 24) on two counts of sexually assaulting an underage girl.
Judge Stella Augustine Druce sentenced the 38-year-old accused to 12 years in prison and four lashes for each charge.
She also ordered the accused to undergo rehabilitation counselling while serving the jail sentence in accordance with Section 26 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
In addition, the man was also ordered to be placed under police supervision for two years after the end of his sentence in accordance with Section 27 of the same Act.
The accused was charged with sexually assaulting the victim without having sex in a house in Lorong Ulu Oya 31 at about 12.30pm in March 2020 for the first amended charge.
As for the second amended charge, he was said to have committed the same act on the same victim in June 2020 at about 1pm at the same venue.
For both charges, the accused is charged under Section 14(d) of the Act.
The offence is punishable under Section 14 which provides for imprisonment of not more than 20 years and whipping, if convicted.
