KLANG: A married couple were each sentenced to five years each for sexual assault of a mentally-challenged 14-year-old girl last year.
Sessions Court judge Noridah Adam meted out the punishment on Khairul Hizwan Kamarudin, 33, and Norehan Abu Kasim, 36, during sentencing today, after the couple pleaded guilty to the offences on Dec 8, last year.
She also sentenced them to two years each for forcing the girl to watch them perform sexual acts, while Khairul Hizwan was also given a year in jail for possession of pornographic videos.
Noridah ordered all the sentences to be served concurrently from the date the couple were arrested on Dec 1, last year.
She also ordered them to undergo counselling throughout their prison term and for them to be monitored for two years after they are released.
According to the charge sheet, the couple each faced one count of physical sexual assault under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Crimes against Children Act 2017 which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
They also faced one count each of non-physical sexual assault by forcing the victim to watch their sexual act, under Section 15(d) of the same act, which carries a prison term of up to 10 years or a fine of up to RM20,000, or both.
Khairul Hizwan, meanwhile, was also charged under Section 292(a) of the Penal Code for having in his possession several pornographic videos, for which the maximum penalty was a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both.
All the offences were alleged to have happened in Kampung Bukit Changgang in Kuala Langat between Nov 12 and Dec 1 last year.
According to the facts of the case, the couple sent a WhatsApp message to the victim on Nov 12 at 1.13pm for her to go to their home.
The victim was told to fold some clothes in a room and it was there that the assault took place.
During today's proceedings, both the accused, who were unrepresented, pleaded for the court to hand down a light sentence and for any jail term to be served concurrently.
However, deputy public prosecutor Nurul 'Izzati Mohamad asked for a deterrent sentence as the sexual assault was against a child who was mentally-challenged.