KOTA KINABALU: The Sessions Court here yesterday jailed a local man for 17 years and ordered him to be given 12 strokes of the cane for raping his underage daughter.
Judge Caroline Bee Majanil meted the sentence on the 39-year-old accused after he decided to change his plea to guilty under Section 376 (3) of the Penal Code when the case came up for case management.
The offence carries a maximum jail of 30 years and whipping.
The accused raped his 15-year-old daughter at a hut in a Membakut village on September 16, 2012.
The facts of the case stated that on September 29, 2012, a woman lodged a police report stating that her niece was raped.
Police investigation revealed that the accused had raped his daughter since three years ago. During the time the report was made, the victim was six months pregnant.
Deputy public prosecutor Afzan Abd Kahar prosecuted while counsel Batholomew Jingulam represented the accused.