The Court of Appeal has upheld a 28-year prison term and 24 strokes of the cane for a grass cutter convicted of raping his 12-year-old sister-in-law.
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today upheld the 28-year prison sentence and 24 strokes of the cane imposed on a grass cutter for raping his sister-in-law.
A three-member bench unanimously dismissed the 41-year-old man’s final appeal against his conviction and sentences.
Justices Datuk Azman Abdullah, Datuk Noorin Badaruddin and Datuk Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid presided over the appeal.
Justice Azman, delivering the court’s decision, stated the victim’s testimony was credible and corroborated by medical evidence.
He added that the victim would not fabricate allegations against the appellant.
The judge also found the 14-year sentence imposed for each charge by the Sessions Court was not excessive.
The father of two was convicted on three counts of raping the victim in 2021.
The offences occurred at a house in Marang, Terengganu, when the victim was 12 years old.
The Sessions Court had originally sentenced him to 14 years’ jail and 10 strokes for each charge on September 8, 2024.
It ordered the sentences for the second and third charges to run concurrently after the first.
This resulted in a total prison term of 28 years.
The cane strokes were reduced to 24 to comply with the legal maximum under the Criminal Procedure Code.
The High Court had previously dismissed the man’s initial appeal on May 22 last year.
Lawyer Nik Mohamed Ikhwan Nik Mahamud represented the appellant at the Court of Appeal hearing.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Arif Aizuddin Masrom appeared for the prosecution.
