KAJANG: Hazmi Majid, the husband of Baby Zara's babysitter, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail and 12 strokes of the rotan by the Sessions Court, here, today.
The sentence was meted out by Judge Datin Surita Budin after Hazmi, who works as a barber, pleaded guilty to two counts of inserting his finger into 11-month-old Baby Zara or Nur Muarzara Ulfa Muhammad Zainal's private parts.
Baby Zara died on Nov 9 after two days of being in a critical condition, believed to be due to physical and sexual abuse after she was discovered to have tears on her private parts.
For each count, Hazmi was sentenced to 20 years in jail and 6 strokes of the rotan, however the court ordered for the sentence to run concurrently from the date of arrest on Nov 13.
According to the first and second charges, Hazmi was accused of inserting his finger into Baby Zara's vagina and anus at a house in Apartment Sri Cempaka, Jalan 6/3, Seksyen 16, Bandar Baru Bangi, near here, between 10.30am and 1.30pm on Nov 7.
Both charges were framed under Section 377CA of the Penal Code which carries a minimum prison term of five years and a maximum of 30 years and whipping.
Hazmi who was not represented pleaded for a lenient sentence as he was the sole breadwinner in his family, having to support his wife and three children.
However, deputy public prosecutor Siti Noor Hafizan Zakaria opposed the plea and asked for the court to hand down a heavy sentence by taking into account public interest as the offence was serious and involved an 11-month-old baby who could not defend herself.
"The accused is the husband to the victim's babysitter and should also care for her, instead of taking advantage of the child.
"Offences against children and babies are becoming rampant in today's society," she said.
On Nov 23, Hazmi was charged at the Magistrate's Court here and the case was later transferred to the Sessions Court.