Four teenage boys have pleaded not guilty at the Children's Court in Baling, Kedah, today to charges of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl at a school in June.

The accused, aged 15 to 17, include one former and three current secondary school students. They were charged separately in a closed proceeding before judge Rohaida Ishak.

Each one is accused of committing physical sexual assault on the Form Three student at the Becah Sawa oil palm plantation in Siong, as well as inside a classroom at a secondary school in Baling, on various dates in June, July, and August of last year.

They were charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and caning.

Deputy public prosecutor Amirul Halimi Salleh appeared for the prosecution, while the accused were unrepresented.

Following the proceeding, the prosecution informed the media that the teenagers had pleaded not guilty.

RM3k bail each

The court then granted each accused bail of RM3,000 with one surety and set Nov 27 for the next case mention.

Previously, the media reported that three students and a former student from a secondary school had been arrested in connection with the sexual offence and the distribution of lewd material.

Police made the arrests after a 53-year-old parent alerted the school's disciplinary teacher that a video of the girl was being circulated.

- Bernama

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