A conviction under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt of the complainant's age; failure to do so, along with misdirection regarding the defence, warrants acquittal.

Moses Susayan JC:

Introduction

[1] This is the judgment of this Court on the consolidated criminal appeals filed by the appellant, Asihar bin Kamaruddin, against the conviction and sentence, and appeal by the prosecution on sentence, imposed by the learned Sessions Court Judge in Teluk Intan in Case No AC-62JSK-26-12/2022 and AC-62JSK-27-12/2022. The appellant was convicted under s 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 ("Act 792") for acts of physical sexual assault against his niece, a child aged 17 years and 10 months at the material time.

[2] The crux of the appeal lies in the appellant's assertion that the trial Court had misdirected itself in rejecting his defence on the erroneous basis that the defence was not put during the prosecution stage, despite there being clear evidence that the defence had indeed been put to the prosecution's witnesses, including the complainant (SP3).

The Charges

[3] The preferred charges against the appellants in the Sessions Court were as follows:

"Case AC-62JSK-26-12/2022:

1st Charge

Tarikh: 8 August 2022

Masa: Antara jam 5.00 AM hingga 5.10 AM Tempat:

XYZ. Seksyen: 14(a) Akta 792

Cara: Memeluk belakang badan mangsa

Hukuman:

3 tahun penjara dari tarikh sabitan (9 August 2024) dan 1 kali sebatan rotan di bawah s 14(a) Akta 792, OKT perlu menjalani rehabilitative counselling sepanjang pemenjaraan di bawah s 26(1) Akta 792 dan 1 tahun pengawasan polis di bawah s 27(1) Akta 792.92"

"2nd Charge

Tarikh: 8 August 2022

Masa: Antara jam 5.00 AM hingga 5.10 AM Tempat:

XYZ. Seksyen: 14(a) Akta 792

Cara: mencium bibir mangsa

Hukuman:

3 tahun penjara dari tarikh sabitan (9 August 2024) dan 1 kali sebatan rotan di bawah s 14(a) Akta 792, OKT perlu menjalani rehabilitative counselling sepanjang pemenjaraan di bawah s 26(1) Akta 792 dan 1 tahun pengawasan polis di bawah s 27(1) Akta 792."

"3rd Charge

Tarikh: 8 August 2022

Masa: Antara jam 5.00 AM hingga 5.10 AM Tempat:

XYZ. Seksyen: 14(a) Akta 792

Cara: Memeluk belakang badan mangsa

Hukuman:

The appellant was Discharged Not amounting to acquittal on the application of the prosecution"

"Case AC-62JSK-27-12/2022

1st Charge

Tarikh: 8 August 2022

Masa: Antara jam 5.00 AM hingga 5.10 AM Tempat:

XYZ. Seksyen: 14(a) Akta 792

Cara: Meraba pinggul mangsa

Hukuman

3 tahun penjara dari tarikh sabitan (9 August 2024) dan 1 kali sebatan rotan di bawah s 14(a) Akta 792, OKT perlu menjalani rehabilitative counselling sepanjang pemenjaraan di bawah s 26(1) Akta 792 dan 1 tahun pengawasan polis di bawah s 27(1) Akta 792."

[4] The charges against the appellant can be summarised as follows:

a) Case AC-62JSK-26-12/2022:

Count 1: Hugging the complainant from behind.

Count 2: Kissing the complainant on the lips

Count 3: Discharged Not amounting to acquittal on the application of the prosecution

b) Case AC-62JSK-27-12/2022:

Count 1: Touching the complainant's buttocks.

[5] Section 14 (a) of Act 792 provides as follows:

"14 Physical sexual assault on a child Any person who, for sexual purposes:

(a) touches any part of the body of a child;

(b)...

(c)...

(d)...,

commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding twenty years and shall also be liable to whipping.

Explanation 1 - The act of touching may involve the act of touching with any part of the body or with an object and may be done through anything including anything worn by the person touching or by the child touched.

Explanation 2 - In determining what constitutes sexual purposes, the Court may take into consideration, among others, the part of the body that is touched, the nature and extent of the act of touching or the physical contact and all other circumstances surrounding the conduct."

Background Facts

[6] The incident was alleged to have occurred in the early morning of Monday, 8 August 2022, between 5:00 am and 5:10 am, at a residence located at XYZ. The complainant (SP3), was then residing at the house with her grandmother (SP4), her maternal uncle (appellant) and other relatives. At the time o