Ex-navy man claims trial to sexually abusing son, daughter

 The 40-year-old from Melaka, now unemployed, is also accused of beating his two children and wife.

The accused was charged at the Melaka Hospital ward as he is being treated for shortness of breath.

PETALING JAYA:

A former navy personnel was slapped with eight charges today of sexually abusing his two children as well as assaulting them and his wife.

The 40-year-old accused, now unemployed, claimed trial to the charges after they were read to him at the Melaka Hospital ward before sessions court judge Raja Noor Adilla Raja Mahyaldin and magistrate Uthman Abd Ghani.

The proceedings were held at the ward as he is being treated for shortness of breath, Berita Harian reported.

On the first three charges, the accused is alleged to have sexually assaulted his eight-year-old son and four-year-old daughter by molesting them at a house in Sungai Udang on May 23.

The charges under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 are punishable by up to 20 years in prison and whipping, if convicted.

The accused, who did not have a lawyer, was also charged with sexually assaulting his daughter by forcing her to touch his body parts at the same place on June 3.

The offence under Section 14(b) of the same Act is also punishable by up to 20 years in prison and whipping, upon conviction.

He was also charged with non-physical sexual assault of his daughter, by making a lewd gesture or uttering an obscene word, at the same location on June 3.

The charge was framed under Section 15(a)(i) of the same Act, which provides for up to 10 years in prison, a maximum RM20,000 fine or both, upon conviction.

He was granted bail of RM10,000 for all charges.

The accused also pleaded not guilty to three charges of causing hurt to his 35-year-old wife by slapping her, and their two children by beating them.

He was charged with committing the offences at the same house at about 3pm on Aug 11.

The charges were framed under Section 323 of the Penal Code, read with Section 326A for assaulting a spouse, punishable by up to two years in prison, a maximum RM2,000 fine, or both, upon conviction.

He was granted bail of RM5,000 for these three charges.

The court fixed Sept 21 for appointment of counsel and case mention. - FMT