SRI AMAN: Police have arrested a machine operator here for allegedly outraging the modesty of his 8-year-old niece.
The child, who lives with her mother at a hotel room here, is believed to have been secretly visited by her uncle while her mother was away at work.
The mother began to suspect that her brother-in-law was sexually assaulting her daughter during his visits.
"When the woman was away at work, the victim usually stayed with her mother's colleague, who rents a room in the same hotel. (One day), the victim revealed her ordeal to her mother's colleague (who immediately informed the mother).
“A police report was lodged by the victim’s mother on Saturday morning,” said Sri Aman district police chief Deputy Superintendent Othman Sulaiman.
The suspect was arrested on the same day, at 9.30pm.
Othman said the victim is traumatised and has been admitted to the district hospital.
"We have yet to confirm when the incident took place, as the victim is a minor and traumatised. Hence, we don't want to rush her for more details," he added.
The suspect has been remanded for a week until Sept 30 to facilitate an investigation into the case, which is being investigated under Section 14 (d) of the Sexual Crimes Against Children Act 2017, which carries a maximum 20 years’ jail and a fine upon conviction.