Appeal backfires as man’s sentence for causing two-month-old daughter’s death raised to 30 years

In a recent legal decision, a man who appealed for a reduced prison sentence for causing the death of his two-month-old daughter has seen his sentence raised to the maximum of 30 years by the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya. Justice Datuk Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz, presiding over a three-member bench, determined that the initial 16-year sentence imposed by the Shah Alam High Court did not adequately reflect the severity of the violent crime.

The court substituted the original sentence with the maximum 30-year sentence under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code, with the sentence beginning from the date of arrest on August 1, 2022. The court considered the young infant's helplessness and the repeated acts of abuse, including slamming the infant onto a cushion and striking her head against a table, causing fatal blunt trauma.

The appellant's defense that his youth should be taken into account was deemed insufficient, as the violent nature of his actions warranted a more severe sentence. The 30-year prison term aims to provide the appellant time for reflection and rehabilitation while serving as a warning to others and society.