Pictures by Malai Rosmah Tuah
KOTA KINABALU: A 46-year-old illegal immigrant was sentenced to 10 years’ jail and one stroke of the rotan for attempting to rape his 22-year-old foster daughter.
Sessions Court judge Azreena Aziz who meted the sentence also ordered the labourer to pay RM5,000 compensation to the victim who was emotionally traumatised by the incident.
He pleaded guilty to committing the offence at Bukit Tampalagus at Kampung Malalia in Sipitang about 1pm on May 15.
According to the facts, he attempted to rape the women when she was washing clothes by a well.
He had hit the victim three times with a dipper (gayung) and took off her pants, but the woman managed to kick him and escaped while the accused was taking off his pants.
The victim then called her elder sister to take her home but the accused returned to the house and threatened them to keep quiet about the incident.
On May 22, the man was arrested after the victim confided about the incident to her sister-in-law.
During mitigation, the accused asked for a lenient sentence as he was the breadwinner of the family.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Husna Abdul Halim said the man had committed very serious offence on his own ward.
For the offence of not possessing valid identity documents, the man was currently undergoing five months’ jail beginning May 29.
He was also ordered to receive one stroke of the rotan after he had pleaded guilty to the charge framed under Section 6 (7) (c) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963.