| Fadley Faisal |

THE High Court on Wednesday sentenced a local man to six years’ imprisonment and four strokes of the cane, for sexually assaulting two of his young daughters.

The 46-year-old uniformed personnel, whose identity has been withheld to protect the victims, outraged the modesty of his younger daughter, now aged 17, by fondling her on four occasions in 2014, 2016 and January 2019 at the family home in Tutong.

The defendant’s daughter did not resist on all four occasions, as she was afraid of her father.

The defendant also committed similar acts twice on his older daughter, now aged 20, who rejected his advances, at the family home in 2010 and 2018.

The defendant’s sexual assaults on his daughters were made known to their mother, the defendant’s ex-wife, who then made a report to the police.

During police investigations, the defendant claimed that he committed those acts so that his daughters would not be easily seduced by other men.

He also claimed that he was pleased to see the girls fending off his advances, as it meant they were well taught on the dangers of inappropriate acts.

Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Steven Chong, on sentencing the defendant, said there was a gross breach of trust and authority by a father towards two of his vulnerable young daughters.

The Court took into account the serious nature of the sexual assaults, and that they were repeatedly committed over a long period of nine years.

“The detrimental psychological impact of the offences on the victims (is that) they have suffered feelings of guilt for revealing to the police what their father had done to them,” said Chief Justice Chong, in considering the nature of the case.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Hafizah binti Ahmad represented the prosecution’s case.