Man charged for molesting visually impaired patient

KUCHING: A local man was charged in the Magistrate’s Court here for allegedly molesting a visually impaired female patient in a hospital last Monday (Jan 22).

The 56-year-old defendant pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan to a charge under Section 354 of the Penal Code.

If convicted, he can be sentenced to prison for a term of up to 10 years or fined or lashes of the cane or any of the two.

Mason Jaro has granted the accused bail, set at RM900 with a local surety, while awaiting the case management appointment scheduled for Feb 27.

According to the charges, he is alleged to have committed the offence in the cancer treatment ward at a hospital at around 12.30pm.

It is understood that the victim’s mother, returning from the ward toilet, discovered an unknown man in her 31-year-old daughter’s bed.

Shockingly, she witnessed the man groping her daughter’s thigh while she (the daughter) was on the bed.

The victim’s mother promptly filed a police report and it led to the arrest of the accused on the same day.

Insp Merylene Lindan Andrew Mang prosecuted the case while, the accused was unrepresented by a counsel.