SEREMBAN: A 35-year-old unemployed man pleaded guilty in the Sessions Court here to two charges of causing physical injury to his 15-year-old stepdaughter and a third charge of inflicting the same on his one-year-old daughter.
The accused did not contest the three charges after these were read to him before Judge Kunasundary Marimuthu.
For the first charge, the accused was jointly charged with his 44-year-old wife of causing injury to the 15-year-old victim at a house in Kg Jerangkang Darat in Nilai.
His wife, who is the victim's biological mother, also pleaded guilty to the charge.
The couple was charged under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code (Each of several persons liable for an act done by all, in like manner as if done by him alone).
The male suspect was also charged with causing injury to this one-year-old daughter at the same place and time.
For the third, he allegedly caused physical injury to the 15-year-old victim at 8.43pm on July 22 in the same house.
He was charged under section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act for the two charges, which carries a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or a jail term not exceeding 20 years or both upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni then offered the male suspect bail of RM60,000 for all three charges and the mother, RM20,000 with one surety each.
She also asked the court to order the couple to stay away from the victim, to report at the nearest police station once a month until their case is disposed of and to surrender their passports to the court if they had one.
Both the accused, who were unrepresented, pleaded for lower bail. They also claimed they had no intention to hurt the victims.
Judge Kunasundary then set bail at RM19,000 for the male suspect and RM8,000 for his wife.
She also set Sept 21 for sentencing.
