Teacher’s acquittal over sexual assault on girl, 8, overturned

 Muar High Court sentences the Arab language teacher to six years in prison and four strokes of the rotan.

The Muar High Court granted Ahnaf Afiq Shairul Bazri a stay of the execution of his sentence pending an appeal. (File pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The Muar High Court has overturned a lower court’s decision to acquit an Arab language teacher of sexually assaulting a female student, who was eight, at a school library six years ago.

In allowing the prosecution’s appeal against the sessions court’s decision, Justice S Kalyana Kumar sentenced Ahnaf Afiq Shairul Bazri, 35, to six years in prison and four strokes of the rotan.

The judge also ordered the accused to undergo counselling while in prison and to be placed under police observation after completing his sentence.

Kalyana granted Ahnaf, who is married, a stay of execution pending an appeal, Harian Metro reported.

Ahnaf was allowed to post bail at RM10,000.

Ahnaf was charged with committing physical sexual assault on the victim in the library of a school in Muar, Johor, between 10.20am and 11.20am on Oct 3, 2019.

The charge under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and whipping, upon conviction.

Ahnaf was also charged under Section 16 of the same law with committing the offence while in a relationship of trust with the victim, punishable by a further five years in prison and at least two strokes of the rotan.

In March 2024, the sessions court ordered Ahnaf to enter his defence after the prosecution succeeded in proving a prima facie case.

However, in March last year, the court acquitted and discharged him of the charge after finding contradictions in the testimonies of a prosecution witness.

Deputy public prosecutor Raya Diyana Najihah Fauzi prosecuted, while Ahnaf was represented by lawyer Nor Hafizah Abdullah. - FMT