The Muar Sessions Court recently imposed a fine of RM6,000 on a 56-year-old cleaning worker for recording and possessing pornographic material in the form of videos and photos of his 15-year-old stepdaughter while she was taking baths.
“Your actions are very serious. The court hopes that you will repent for this act, do not repeat such an offence,” Judge Nariman Badruddin told him before imposing the sentence.
The man was charged under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (AKKSTKK) 2017 which comes with imprisonment of up to 5 years or a maximum fine of RM10,000 or both, if convicted.
He was also ordered to be imprisoned for 6 months if he did not pay his fine, which he did pay off.
Serious actions deserve serious consequences
MCA Deputy Secretary-General Dr Pamela Yong took to her Facebook page to share her disbelief over the fine imposed by the judge, considering it unjust given the crime committed.
She wrote, “An absolute travesty of justice, if not a joke! A stepfather secretly taking nude videos and photos of his stepdaughter, keeping them in his emails and on his phone. The minor, his 15-year-old daughter reported it to the authorities and the judge weighted this heinous violation at a value of ONLY RM6,000.”
“I feel like we let this poor girl down big time. She knew the gravity of the matter enough and stood up for herself by reporting it to the authorities. What did we adults do instead? We just waved it off with a meagre fine.”
She also shared her fear for the stepdaughter as the fine can easily be paid while the criminal can always repeat his actions.
This image is for illustration purposes only.
“The RM6,000 fine utterly fails to reflect the severity of his crime, offering no real deterrent, no rehabilitation and no meaningful protection for the victim,”
“How does this judgment restrain him from repeating his actions, especially when he still has access to the child? Worse, what stops him from exploiting her further to recover the money he lost in fines as retribution against the child who reported him to the authorities?” she added.
We genuinely hope that the girl is kept safe and far away from her stepfather.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
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