SIBU: A 31-year old man was slapped with a jail term of five years and five strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court on Friday (April 29) for sexually assaulting a disabled 11-year-old girl.

       The accused was charged under Section 14 (a) of Sexual Offence against Children Act 2017 which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping.

       According to the charge sheet read before Judge Marutin Pagan, the accused had on April 23 in a toilet of a cargo company, sexually assaulted the girl by removing her clothes, hugging her and touching her private parts.

       The accused tried to rape her but was unsuccessful as he heard people coming. He was caught by the victim's uncle when he rushed out of the toilet.

       The victim's father suspected that something was amiss as she was in the toilet for too long.

       When he opened the toilet door, he found her naked and the victim told him that she had been assaulted.