SUNGAI PETANI: Two weeks ago, a 39-year-old mother of 12 from Sungai Layar was forced to make one of the most difficult decisions of her life.
She was torn between the love she had for her three daughters and her son, when the sisters claimed that they had been raped and molested by their own brother.
Her motherly instinct convinced her that she should put a stop to the heinous act. To protect her daughters, she lodged a police report, which led to her son's arrest.
This morning, her tears flowed freely as she watched her 18-year-old son stand in the dock of a Sessions Court here to face four count of charges of raping and molesting his sisters, aged 8, 10 and 14.
Accompanied by her young children as well as relatives, the mother was seen wiping away tears as she listened carefully to the four charges that may send her son behind bars, if he is found guilty.
For the first charge, the teen is accused of having raped his 8-year-old sister at a house number F 12 in Kampung Baru, Pulau Tiga in Sungai Layar here about 8pm on July 19.
As for the second charge, he was accused of raping his 14-year-old sister at a house in Lorong Kuda Kepang, Taman Ria Jaya here about 9pm on April 21.
He was charged under Section 376B of the Penal Code for both offences, which carry a jail term of no less than 10 years and up to 30 years and whipping, upon conviction.
The teen was also charged with two separate counts of of molesting his two sisters aged 14 and 10 in two separate incidents at house number F12 in Kampung Baru, Pulau Tiga in Sungai Layar, on July 14 and July 18.
He was charged under Section 377CA of the Penal Code for molest, which carries a minimum five years' and up to 30 years' imprisonment and whipping, if found guilty.
The accused who was not represented, nodded when asked by the court interpreter whether he understood the charges but was at loss when asked to state his plea.
Judge Saiful Bahari Adzmi had to repeat the question twice before the teen pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Deputy Public Prosecutor J. Geeta urged the court not to grant the accused bail on grounds that the offence was serious one and all the victims are his siblings.
Saiful granted the call and fixed September 5 for mention to allow the accused to appoint a lawyer.
The accused, clad in purple-coloured lock-up attire, froze when Saiful asked him whether he knew how to appoint a lawyer. This prompted the judge to ask whether any of his relatives was present in the courtroom.
The teen, in tears, turned to his mother who was seated in the packed public gallery.
The judge then called for the mother to step forward and asked her whether she knew how to appoint a lawyer.
The woman wiped her tears as she was unsure on how to reply, before turning to her sister seated at the back for help.
The sister, in her 40s, then stepped forward and said she would seek help to engage a lawyer for the accused.
When met outside the court, the accused's mother said she would seek help from the Legal Aid Centre as her family could not afford a lawyer, but declined to elaborate on the charges meted out against her son.