BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN : The Brunei Court of Appeal recently dismissed an application for reduced sentence from a man convicted of raping his cousin’s daughter.
The appellate court observed that the sentencing highlighting four aggravating factors: the tender age of the victim, the gross breach of trust by the appellant, the repetition of the offences, and the fact that the appellant was a police officer when he committed the offences. The decision noted sympathy for the appellant’s wife and young children but reiterated that family hardship cannot influence the sentencing of grave offences. The sentences were deemed appropriate and not manifestly excessive by the appellate court.
“The offences, committed over several years against a young girl, likely caused psychological trauma,” the appellate court concluded.