SEREMBAN, Jan 5 — A food stall owner was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 19 whippings by the Sessions Court here today after pleading guilty to six charges of incest and one charge of having unnatural sex with his stepdaughter over the past two years.

Judge Datin Surita Budin meted out the sentence against the 38-year-old man, with the jail time commencing from the date of his arrest on December 29.

The court sentenced him to 15 years in prison and three whippings for each incest charge and five years in prison and one whipping for unnatural sex. All sentences are to run concurrently.

The man was charged with committing incest at a house and stall in Jempol between January 1, 2021 and December 10, 2022.

The charges were framed under Section 376B(1) of the Penal Code which provides for imprisonment of not less than 10 years and not more than 30 years, and whipping.

He was also accused of having unnatural sex at the same stall at 8pm on April 11, 2021, according to Section 377CA of the Penal Code which provides for imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than 30 years, and whipping.

The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Goh Hsiao Tung while the accused was unrepresented.

According to the facts of the case, the victim, who is a Form One student, was raped six times by her stepfather during the period in question, the last time being on December 10.

The victim’s mother, 48, married the accused in 2014.

The victim only related the incidents to her sister on December 25, 2022, as she was afraid of the accused, and was taken to lodge a report four days later. — Bernama