SANDAKAN: The Sessions Court here yesterday sentenced a religious teacher to three years’ imprisonment and two strokes of cane after he was found guilty of attempting to rape a minor.
Tauhid bin Ahamad, 39, pleaded guilty before Judge Egusra Ali to a charge under Section 376 of the Penal Code.
He committed the offence at around 3 pm on 18 September 2013 in Sungai Pin, Jalan Semarak Estate, Kinabatangan.
According to the facts of the case, the accused was a teacher who taught the Al-Quran to the 12-year-old victim and her two other friends.
Prior to the incident, the accused asked the victim’s friends to collect some firewood from behind the accused’s house and at the same time to try and distract the cow there, while the victim was asked to stay back and boil some water in the kitchen.
While in the kitchen, the accused held the victim’s hand and led her to the living room where he asked her to lie down on a mattress and close her eyes.
However, in his attempt to have sex with the victim, the accused failed to effect penetration on the victim and subsequently threatened to harm the victim if she told anyone about the incident.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor, Mohd Fillanny bin Siji.