KUALA LUMPUR: A primary school teacher was charged at the Sessions Court today with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old student.
The teacher claimed trial to committing the offence as a person who is in a relationship of trust with the victim before judge Azrul Darus.
He was accused of committing the offence at a house in Jinjang Utara in mid-April about 10.30pm.
The charge under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act, read with Section 16(1), carries up to 20 years' jail and whipping.
Section 16(1) also provides for up to five years' jail and at least two strokes of the rotan upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Noor Shakira Aliana Alias did not offer bail as the offence is non-bailable.
"If the court wants to offer bail, we ask for it to be set at RM50,000, along with additional conditions requiring the accused to report to a police station monthly, to surrender his passport to the court and to not harass the victim, his family and prosecution witnesses.
"The accused is a former teacher of the victim when he was studying in primary school."
In mitigation, defence lawyer S. Muraliraj pleaded for bail, saying his client needed to support his family and had cooperated with the police during investigations.
Azrul allowed bail at RM20,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to report to the Jinjang police station monthly and to surrender his passport.
In a separate case at the same court, a People's Housing Project (PPR) joint management body secretary claimed trial to sexual assaulting an 11-year-old girl.
The accused allegedly committed the offence at the joint management body's office in Wangsa Maju on Sept 9 at 10.35pm.
The charge under Section 14(d) provides for up to 20 year's jail and whipping upon conviction.
Azrul allowed bail at RM15,000 with one surety.
He ordered the accused to report to a police station monthly and barred him from harassing the victim and her family.
Nov 21 was set for mention for both cases.