KUALA TERENGGANU, July 19 — An otorhinolaryngology specialist at a private hospital was sentenced to seven years in prison and seven strokes of the cane by the Sessions Court today after being found guilty of seven charges of committing physical sexual assault against a young male patient.
Judge Mohd Zul Zakiquddin Zulkifli handed down the sentence on Mohd Safwan Mohd Soffian, 42, after finding that the defence had failed to raise a reasonable doubt against the prosecution's case.
On the first through the seventh charges, he was found to have committed physical sexual assault against the boy, who was 11 and 12 years old at the time of the incidents, in his consultation room at a private hospital in September, October, and November 2022, as well as in April 2023.
For the first six charges, the accused was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, while the seventh charge was framed under Section 14(d) of the same law. Both sections provide for a penalty of up to 20 years' imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
The court subsequently sentenced Safwan to five years in prison and one stroke of the cane, along with a two-year police supervision order, for each of the first six charges, while on the seventh charge, he was sentenced to seven years in prison, one stroke of the cane, and two years of police supervision.
Mohd Zul Zakiquddin ordered the prison sentences to be served concurrently, effective today.
The prosecution was conducted by Deputy Public Prosecutors Ahmad Hafizuddin Manjur Ahmad and Nur Azhani Azman, while the accused was represented by lawyers Ahmad Kamal Abu Bakar, Arik Zakri Abdul Kadir, and Ahmad Fairuz Jusoh.
