Senior citizen gets 12 years jail, whipping for sexual offence against 11-month old baby (Updated)

PUTRAJAYA: A senior citizen was sentenced to 12 years in jail and two strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to performing unnatural sex on an 11-month-old baby at the Special Court for Child Sexual Crimes today.
The accused, Hashim Karim, 68, pleaded guilty to using his finger to perform the sexual act against the order of nature, on the baby girl being taken care of by his daughter-in-law.
Judge Muhammad Kamil Nizam delivered the verdict after the arguments put forth by deputy public prosecutor Aimi Syazwani Sarmin, who asked for a sentence that would serve as a deterrent, as the heinous act had caused permanent injuries to the victim.
"This is a serious act and it happened to an 11-month old child who is like a granddaughter to the accused. He should have taken care of her. The doctors who examined her after the incident said there were permanent injuries to her hymen," Aimi said in her argument.
"I ask for a sentence that will act as a deterrent. Although the accused is already 68 he can still be whipped for sexual offences. This will also serve as a reminder to him and the society," she added.
The accused, who was unrepresented, asked for a lesser sentence, claiming that he was not feeling well and was still supporting his schoolgoing children.
According to the facts of the case, the victim's parents sent her to the babysitter's house everyday, except on weekends.
On Aug 20, they sent their baby to the babysitter's house as usual and at 4pm of the same day the babysitter had asked her father-in-law, to look after the baby as she needed to renew her road tax and car insurance.
When she came back, the baby was crying in her cradle with bloodstains on the pants the child was wearing.
Later, when she bathed the child, she found there was more blood in her genital area.
The parents subsequently took the baby to the Shah Alam Hospital as the child's disposable diapers had fresh blood stains.
An obstetrician and gynecologist specialist who examined the child said the injury sustained by the infant could have been caused by a huge blunt object which was forced into her private parts.
According to police investigation, the accused told his son he had inserted his finger into the victim's private parts, and what he said was heard by a third person.