KOTA KINABALU: A 42-year-old man was slapped with 20 years imprisonment and 10 strokes of the rotan by the Sessions Court here for raping his 15-year-old daughter.

       The unemployed man, who is believed to have started raping his daughter since she was 10 years old, pleaded guilty to the charge of incest under Section 376B(1) of Penal Code before Sessions Court judge Egusra Ali.

       He is alleged to have committed the offence at a house in a village in Labuan in April last year.

       Judge Edusra meted the sentence after the accused pleaded guilty.

       Deputy public prosecutor Suriyati Jumain pressed the court for a deterrent sentence, saying that the father's action was despicable and hideous.

       "Children place their trust, faith and confidence in their fathers," she said, adding that his act of lust shattered and will traumatise the girl for life.

       Section 376B(1) of the Penal Code provides for a mandatory 10 years’ jail term and not more than 30 years with whipping.

       The man, who was unrepresented, pleaded for leniency.

       In the facts of the case, the rape incidents came to light during a counselling session in school where the victim said that she was raped in the living room of the house more then 15 times.

       The victim had also said that her father was jobless and was on drugs.

       The father was arrested on Dec 7, 2021.