Serang seksual pelajar, hukuman penjara guru dinaikkan 3 kali ganda

Mahkamah Rayuan in Malaysia has increased the prison sentence for a 47-year-old secondary school teacher who sexually assaulted a 16-year-old female student by three times, from four years to 12 years. The three-judge panel, consisting of Azman Abdullah, Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz, and K Muniandy, also doubled the original sentence of two years to three years.

The judges explained that the increased punishment aims to ensure the perpetrator reflects on their actions and the consequences of misusing their position as an authority figure. The sentence will begin immediately, as the teacher has already been released on bail pending the outcome of the appeal. The incident occurred in a home in Butterworth, Penang, in early March 2019.

The victim initially kept the incident a secret due to fear and concern for her family's reputation. The case came to light after the victim's father reported it to the police in 2020, followed by a report from the victim herself in June 2021. The court had previously sentenced the teacher to two years and two months in jail under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 for the physical assault.

The court also imposed an additional two years under Section 16(1) of the same act due to the offense taking place while the teacher was in a position of trust. The two sentences would have been served consecutively, totaling four years. However, the Malaysian High Court has now increased the initial sentence under Section 14(a) to ten years, while the additional two-year sentence remains the same but will be served consecutively, making the total 12 years.

The teacher will also be placed under police custody for two years after completing his sentence. The prosecutor, Sarulatha, represented the prosecution, while Alif Ahmad Tarmizi represented the defense.