PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today reinstated an eight-month prison sentence for a 52-year-old man convicted of outraging his teenage stepdaughter’s modesty.
A three-judge bench led by Justice Datuk Azman Abdullah allowed the prosecution’s appeal, overturning the High Court’s earlier acquittal.
Justice Azman stated that the High Court had erred in dismissing the case without thoroughly assessing the victim’s testimony.
He noted that the victim’s immediate reaction, including kicking the accused and reporting the incident, supported her credibility.
“The victim’s testimony aligns with the police report, and there is no evidence of fabrication,“ Justice Azman said.
The bench also dismissed the man’s defence that he entered the room to collect laundry as unreasonable.
The Magistrates’ Court had initially convicted the man in November 2023 for the 2022 incident in Perak.
The High Court later acquitted him, prompting the prosecution to appeal.
Deputy public prosecutor Solehah Noratikah Ismail argued that entering the victim’s locked room via a bathroom showed malicious intent.
The man’s lawyer, Siti Umairah Zainudin, maintained that the High Court correctly identified inconsistencies in the victim’s account. – Bernama