Caretaker pleads not guilty to abetting sexual assault against underage girls

AMPANG JAYA: A 30-year-old nursery caretaker claimed trial to three charges of abetting a sexual assault at the sessions court here today.
Khairulbariah Mian, 30, claimed trial to all three charges when they were read out to her by magistrate Haslinda A. Raof.
She was charged under Section 354 of the Penal Code for use of criminal force on a person with intent to outrage modesty on three underaged girls, aged from 10 to 11, at a nursery home.
If convicted, she is liable to be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, or with fine, or with whipping, or with any two of such punishments for each charge.
Deputy public prosecutor Raihanah Abdul Razak further proffered additional charges under Section 109 of the Penal Code for abetting her 56-year-old accomplice, that were read together with Section 354 of the Penal Code punishable with the same punishment if convicted.
The accused was then granted bail of RM18,000 for all three charges in one surety and ordered not to disturb the victims.
Raihanah also earlier sought for bail to be set at RM10,000 for each charge, but counsel Illynadiah Mohd Yusof mitigated on the grounds that the accused was a first-time offender with no prior convictions and her retired father was unable to come up with RM30,000 bail.
She is accused of committing the offences in a living room of two houses in Taman Seri Keramat in December 2015 and 2016.
Haslinda set Mar 21 for case mention.
The case came to light when police reports were lodged in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor against another caretaker by two 12-year-old girls – one who alleged she was molested by the suspect in Jinjang and the other, who is an inmate of the welfare home in Ampang, alleged she was raped on several occasions by the man.
Khairulbariah was arrested to assist in the probe.