THE Court of Appeal yesterday confirmed the 28-year prison sentence and 24 strokes of the cane imposed on a man convicted of raping his sister-in-law on three separate occasions, dismissing his final appeal against conviction and sentencing.
The 41-year-old father of two, who had previously been sentenced by the Sessions Court, faced allegations of sexually assaulting the victim when she was 12 years old.
The offences reportedly occurred once in February and twice in July 2021 at a house in Marang, Terengganu.
Delivering the unanimous decision, Justice Datuk Azman Abdullah said the victim’s testimony was corroborated by medical evidence, emphasising that “the victim would not make up stories against the appellant.”
The court also found that the 14-year prison term imposed for each charge by the Sessions Court was not excessive.
The original Sessions Court judgment on September 8, 2024, had sentenced the man to 14 years’ imprisonment and 10 strokes of the cane for each count, ordering the sentences for the second and third charges to run concurrently after the completion of the first.
The total number of cane strokes was limited to 24, in accordance with Section 288 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
The High Court had previously dismissed the man’s appeal on May 22 last year, prompting him to escalate the case to the Court of Appeal.
During the appeal hearing, he was represented by lawyer Nik Mohamed Ikhwan Nik Mahamud, while deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Arif Aizuddin Masrom appeared for the prosecution.
The appellate bench, comprising Justices Datuk Azman Abdullah, Datuk Noorin Badaruddin, and Datuk Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid, concluded that the lower courts’ rulings were justified and proportionate given the gravity of the offences.
This decision underscores the judiciary’s stance on sexual offences, highlighting that corroborated victim testimony, alongside medical evidence, is central to the adjudication of serious criminal cases in Malaysia. - February 5, 2026
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