SINGAPORE: A part-time cleaner was jailed for five years and ordered to be given eight strokes of the cane for molesting a young boy.
Desiyantoh Zainal, was naked from the waist down when he grabbed the 10-year-old and molested him at an HDB staircase landing in Bukit Batok on March 15.
He had approached
the boy and his eight-year-old cousin at a staircase landing of the
block of flats before asking them their names. Failing to get a reply,
Desiyantoh grabbed hold of his victim's left arm and pulled the boy
towards him just as he was about to run away.
He then restrained the youngster and outraged his modesty.
Assistant
Public Prosecutor Jayarajan GK said that the 27-year-old Desiyantoh had
been convicted of similar offences in the past.
He was fined
S$2,000 in 2004 for exposing himself in public. Three years later, he
was sentenced to three years' jail and five strokes of the cane for the
same offence as well as molest.
APP Jayarajan said that
Desiyantoh "had not learnt his lesson" and pressed for a jail term of up
to six years plus caning. Defence counsel, Sunil Sudheesan, however
pleaded for a "non-crushing sentence", saying that the offence was not
pre-meditated.
The lawyer added that in the past ten to twelve
years, his client had issues with sexual offences which were "not
exactly natural".
To address the problem, Mr Sudheesan said that
Desiyantoh's medical report could be sent to the prison authorities so
that he can be counselled by psychiatrists within the facility.
-CNA/ac