Man suspected of sexually assaulting girl in mosque to be charged

 

The suspect will be charged under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

A man believed to have sexually assaulted a girl at a mosque in Batang Kali will be charged in the Ampang magistrates’ court on Thursday.

In a statement, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said they had referred the investigation paper to the deputy public prosecutor today.

“We received the order to charge the suspect under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017,” he said, referring to the provision of the law covering physical sexual assault against children.

Last week, CCTV footage went viral showing the man sneaking into the ladies’ area of the mosque before scooping up the girl while she was performing morning prayers behind a congregation of women.

Earlier, it was reported that police obtained a seven-day remand order for the 19-year-old suspect to assist in the investigation.

Harian Metro later reported that the suspect had been assessed as a person with disabilities (OKU).

It quoted Selangor welfare department director Azmir Kassim as saying that investigations found that the individual had held an OKU card since childhood.

Religious affairs minister Na’im Mokhtar has called for stern action to be taken if the suspect is proven guilty. - FMT