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PARIT: A 63-year-old man has been fined RM2,500 by the Magistrate's Court here after pleading guilty to a charge of intending to outrage a woman's modesty by touching and pinching her cheek at a grocery store.
Magistrate Nurul Izalina Rajaai meted out the fine, in default six months in prison, on Samsuri Kamaruddin, who later paid the fine.
Before imposing the fine, she reminded Samsuri that he had committed an offence by inappropriately touching the woman.
"The court wishes to explain that this is wrong. It is wrong for you as an adult, a man of senior citizen age. Everyone has acquaintances, but we must maintain boundaries. With anyone who is not our family member (mahram), we should not touch their cheeks, hands, or any part of the body. What you did not only outrage the modesty of the victim but also brought shame to your own family," she said.
The man was charged with using criminal force on a 23-year-old woman with the intention of outraging her modesty at about 4pm in a grocery store at Simpang 4 Bota Kanan on Sept 5.
The charge, framed under Section 354 of the Penal Code, provides a maximum 10-year prison sentence or a fine or whipping or any two of the sentences upon conviction.
Based on the facts of the case, the victim was making payment at the checkout counter when the accused touched her left cheek twice. He touched and pinched the woman's cheek again, even after she reprimanded him. – Bernama
