PARIT: A 63-year-old man was fined RM2,500 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 jail, on Samsuri Kamaruddin, who paid the fine.
Before imposing the fine, the magistrate reminded Samsuri that he had committed an offence by inappropriately touching the woman.
“The court wishes to explain that this (touching the woman) is wrong. It is wrong for you as an adult, a man of senior citizen age.
“Everyone has acquaintances but we must maintain boundaries.
“What you did not only outraged the modesty of the victim but also brought shame to your own family,” Nurul Izalina said, Bernama reported.
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, last Sept 5.
The charge, framed under Section 354 of the Penal Code, provides a jail term of up to 10 years or a fine or whipping or any two of the sentences.
Based on the facts of the case, the accused touched the victim’s left cheek twice while she was trying to make a payment at the checkout counter. And when she reprimanded him, Samsuri touched and pinched the woman’s cheek again.
Following the incident, the woman became traumatised and was afraid to go to work.
