A WELFARE home caretaker has been sentenced to a total of 36 years' imprisonment and six strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to a series of sexual offences involving five boys under his care, in a case that has intensified concerns over the protection of vulnerable children in residential institutions.
The Ampang Sessions Court imposed the sentence on 25-year-old Retna Velu after he maintained his guilty plea to nine charges of physical and non-physical sexual assault against the children.
Judge Ho Kwong Chin ordered that the sentences be served consecutively, with the jail term commencing from the date of the accused's arrest on 3 April.
The accused appeared calm in the dock as the sentence was delivered.
The latest conviction comes barely weeks after Retna Velu was handed an additional 11-year prison sentence and five strokes of the cane on 21 May for six separate offences involving physical and non-physical sexual assault, as well as sodomy, against two boys aged eight and 10.
According to the charges, the offences against the five victims, aged between eight and 13, were committed at a welfare home in Batu Caves, Gombak, between November 2025 and March 2026.
The accused faced charges under Sections 14(a) and 14(b) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 for physical sexual assault, offences punishable by up to 20 years' imprisonment and caning upon conviction.
He was also charged under Sections 15(a)(i) and 15(a)(ii) of the same Act for non-physical sexual assault offences, which carry penalties of up to 10 years' imprisonment, a fine of up to RM20,000, or both.
Court proceedings revealed that the case came to light after the president of the Selangor-based NGO Pertubuhan Kebangkitan Tiga Tangan interviewed several male residents of the children's home, who alleged they had been subjected to sexual abuse.
Investigators found that many of the offences were allegedly committed after the accused woke the victims during the night before taking them to various locations within the welfare home, including bedrooms, bathrooms and the kitchen.
The victims reportedly remained silent out of fear of being beaten or reprimanded.
Medical examinations subsequently uncovered injuries on several of the children, leading to the accused's arrest and prosecution under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
Before sentencing, the unrepresented accused appealed for leniency.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Hairuliqram Hairuddin urged the court to impose a severe punishment, citing the gravity of the offences and the lasting impact on the victims.
“The offences committed by the accused are extremely serious crimes as they undermine the dignity and safety of the victims.
“The impact of these crimes does not end on the day they are committed; it can persist throughout the victims’ lives. Therefore, the sentence imposed must reflect the seriousness of the offences,” he said.
The prosecutor further argued that a strong deterrent sentence was necessary to preserve public confidence in the criminal justice system and reflect the seriousness of crimes committed against children.
“Therefore, in order to uphold the dignity of the judicial institution and safeguard the public interest, the prosecution seeks a severe and proportionate sentence against the accused,” he said.
The proceedings were also attended by observing counsel S. Kirthen and S. Premila, who appeared on behalf of the complainant and Pertubuhan Kebangkitan Tiga Tangan Selangor.
The case is among the most serious child sexual abuse prosecutions heard in Selangor this year, with the cumulative sentences reflecting the court's firm stance against offences involving vulnerable children entrusted to institutional care. - June 4, 2026
