Man faces 632 charges of raping his daughter

PUTRAJAYA: A man is being charged in the Special Court on Child Sexual Crimes, here with a total of 632 sexual crimes against his 15-year-old daughter.
The 36-year-old suspect, who is a consultant with a private company, faces:
>> 599 counts of sodomy;
>> one charge of rape;
>> 30 counts of physical sexual assault without sexual intercourse under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (SOACA); and
>> one count each for abuse and neglect of a child, under Section 31(1)(a) and Section 31(1)(b) of the Child Act 2016.
The suspect, whose name is being withheld to protect the identity of his daughter, arrived at the court at 9am, but the proceedings only began close to 3pm as the deputy public prosecutor and investigating officer were made to count the charge sheets throughout the morning.
Earlier, judge Yong Zarida Sazali ordered all charges against the accused under the Penal Code, SOACA and the Child Act 2016 to be read out in court.
When the court adjourned at 6.30pm, only about 100 over charges had been read out by the court interpreter, leaving the rest to be read out today.
The suspect is alleged to have committed the crimes against his daughter, who was living with him, over a two-year period following his divorce in 2015.
He was arrested a day after the victim's mother lodged a police report on July 25, on learning from the girl who finally confided in her.
Under Section 377C of the Penal Code, the suspect will be liable to no less than five years' jail as well as whipping for each count of sodomising his daughter, if found guilty.
The rape charge, meanwhile, carries a penalty of no less than eight years' jail and 10 strokes of the rotan upon conviction.
The 600 charges for sodomy and rape alone may see the suspect being given a cumulative sentence of 3,000 years' jail and lashes of the rotan, if he is found guilty.
Deputy public prosecutors Nordalina Ali and Aimi Syazwani Sarmin prosecuted.