Man charged with sexually assaulting 6-year-old girl at mosque

A 35-year-old man with a disability appeared at the Butterworth sessions court, denying charges of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl at a mosque earlier this month. The incident allegedly occurred at Masjid Jamek Haji Abdul Latiff in Permatang Pasir, near Butterworth, around 4pm on September 3. Under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, the accused faces up to 20 years in prison and whipping if found guilty.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Amira Ruzaini Wan Abdul Razak declined to grant bail, citing the severity of the offense and the victim's young age. The accused's lawyer, Naqieya Zulkernain, argued that her client had a speech disorder, was unemployed, and relied on his self-employed brother, whose income was inconsistent. The court agreed that the risk of the accused fleeing was minimal, as he voluntarily came to court and cooperated with the police.

Consequently, the accused was ordered to be transferred to Hospital Bahagia in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak, for a mental health evaluation, with a re-mention of the case scheduled for October 14.