KUALA LUMPUR: A despatch rider pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here Friday (June 13) to sexually assaulting his six-year-old daughter last year.
The 37-year-old father of two is accused of committing the offence at a village house here, between June 28 and July 10, 2024.
The charge is framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, read together with Section 16(1) of the same law.
If convicted, Section 14(a) provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and whipping, while Section 16(1) carries a jail term of up to five years and a maximum of two strokes of the cane.
Deputy public prosecutor M. Saravanan requested bail be set at RM20,000 in one surety, along with an additional condition that the accused must report to the nearest police station once a month.
"In addition, the accused must surrender his passport to the court and is prohibited from contacting or disturbing the victim, as he is the child's biological father and has visitation rights," said the prosecutor.
Meanwhile, the accused, who was unrepresented, appealed for a lower bail on the grounds of his RM2,000 monthly income and the fact that the victim is currently living with his ex-wife, who has since remarried.
Judge Azrul Darus set July 16 for mention and granted the accused bail of RM5,000 in one surety, along with the condition that he must report to the nearest police station once a month until the disposal of the case. - Bernama
