Sessions court judge Abu Bakar Mamat ordered the accused to serve the maximum jail term of 30 years for each rape charge, to be served concurrently, plus 10 lashes for each charge.

He also sentenced the accused to an additional eight years in prison on the sexual abuse charge and an extra five strokes of the rotan.

According to the facts of the case, the accused began assaulting the teenager when she was just 12 years old, Berita Harian reported.

The attacks continued until June 5, 2023, even after she had changed the lock on her bedroom door.

The case came to light in June when a medical checkup in school revealed she was pregnant.

The rape charges were brought under Section 376 of the Penal Code while the sexual abuse charge was framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

Abu Bakar admonished the accused prior to pronouncing the sentence.

“Did you not think about her future before committing (these crimes)? As a father, you should be responsible for her.

“Children are (God’s) gift. We even have folks who cannot have kids despite trying everything, including seeing doctors,” he was quoted as saying.