A senior citizen was jailed for 115 years and ordered to be caned 24 times by the Sessions Courts in Kuantan today after he pleaded guilty to five charges of incest and raping his own daughter between Oct 2013 and Oct 2017.

The 53-year-old accused from Kampung Tebat, Pekan, was charged with the offence towards his daughter, who is now 20, in two proceedings in separate Sessions Courts.

In Sessions Court 1, the riverine fisherman, was jailed 40 years by Judge Unaizah Mohd on two charges of committing incest on Oct 20, 2013 and Oct 24, 2014.

He was charged with carrying out the acts on a raft house on Sungai Pahang, Kampung Tebat at 8.30pm on the dates mentioned, when his eldest daughter of five siblings was aged 16 and 17 years.

The accused was charged under Section 376B, which stipulates a minimum 10-year or maximum 30-year jail term and caning.

Unaizah sentenced him to 20 years’ jail for every charge, and ordered them to be carried out concurrently.

Deputy public prosecutor Shahrul Ekhsan Hassim appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented.

In Sessions Court 4, the accused was sentenced to 75 years’ jail from the date of arrest and 30 strokes on three charges of raping the same daughter on Sept 14, 22 and Oct 3 at the same place and time.

Judge Siti Aminah Ghazali sentenced the accused to 25 years’ jail and 10 strokes for every charge after hearing the arguments of the prosecution by deputy public prosecutor, Haryati Abdullah.

The charges were under Section 376 (3) of the Penal Code which provided a maximum 30-year jail term and 10 strokes, but the caning on the accused was reduced, as Section 288 of the Criminal Procedure Code provided that an offender could only be caned a maximum of 24 strokes.

Earlier, in her argument Haryati said the victim ran away from home on Dec 6, after she could no longer stand being raped by the accused, and lodged a police report on Dec 13.

The victim kept quiet prior to this as she was afraid after being threatened by the accused that he would rape her siblings if the incidents were reported to the authorities or anybody else.

No action was taken by her mother after she confided in the latter because she was afraid of being assaulted by the suspect.

Haryati said the accused must be severely punished for his abominable acts because, as a father, he should be protecting his children and not destroying their future.

During the two proceedings, and when the sentences were read, the accused appeared calm and showed no regret whatsoever.

- Bernama