KOTA SAMARAHAN: A 57-year-old farmer and his three sons were sentenced to 335 years’ imprisonment by the Sessions Court here today for committing incest against the former’s two granddaughters.
All of the accused, including the victims’ 42-year-old father and two uncles, were also sentenced to 24 strokes of the rotan each.
The girls’ grandfather pleaded guilty to six counts of having an incestuous relationship with the older of the two victims at a house in Tebedu near Serian between January 2013 and last month.
The father of the two sisters pleaded guilty to two counts of committing incest against the same victim at the same location between January and December 2013.
The third defendant, who is the victims’ 26-year-old uncle, was only slapped with one charge of the same offence with the same victim at the same location at about 1am on Jun 1, 2011.
The victims' other uncle, 28, was slapped with two counts of having sexual intercourse with the same victim at the same location between June and December 2011.
He was also charged with two counts of committing incest with the victim's younger sister at two separate locations between January and December the following.
According to the charge sheet, one of the two offences was committed inside a bush near the house while the other offence took place at the house. He pleaded guilty to all of the charges.
The eldest of two sisters, who is now 19, is 25 weeks pregnant, while his younger sister is 14.
All of the charges were made against the four under Section 376B(1) of the Penal Code for incest, which carries the maximum 30 years' jail and whipping.
All of the accused, who were unrepresented, pleaded for leniency on grounds that they are remorseful for their action.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Azhari Yusof, however, proposed the Court to impose a deterrent sentence against all of the accused.
Azhari argued that all of the accused have betrayed their responsibility as the victims’ guardians.
“They were supposed to be the protectors of the two sisters but they did otherwise by committing such disgusting acts.
“One of the victim is 25 weeks’ pregnant and this event will haunt her for the rest of her life.
“Hence, I pray that the Court would mete out the maximum sentence against all the accused," said Azhari.
Judge Marutin Pagan sentenced the victims' grandfather, father and the third defendant to 25 years' jail for each of the offences.
Marutin sentenced the fourth defendant to 25 years' imprisonment for the first two charges. He was also sentenced to 30 years' jail for the other two charges.
He ordered the jail sentences for all of the accused to run concurrently from the date of their arrest.