Special child sexual crimes court sits for first time with five cases

The Special Criminal Court handling cases involving child sexual victims makes its inaugural sitting today with five cases being heard.

Sessions Court judge Yong Zarida Sazali presided over the cases which comprised one outrage of decency fresh charge, a rape trial and three mention rape cases.

The special court was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on June 22, this year.

The judge began the proceedings at 9 am and took about an hour to complete hearing the mention cases and the fresh charge.

She then proceeded to hear the rape trial in-camera involving a 29-year old food stall worker Mohd Haziq Hussain who was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in a house in Segambut, Kuala Lumpur on Feb 15, 2015.

Yong earlier issued an order for the trial proceedings to be heard in camera on a request by deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Aimi Syazwani Sarmin.

“The court proceedings will be conducted behind closed doors. All parties (seated in the public gallery including journalists) are requested to leave the courtroom,” she said.

Two witnesses testified in the trial today before the court fixed three days from Aug 7 for the trial to resume.

Earlier, a 43-year-old salesman was charged in the same court for gross indecency for allegedly kissing and biting the chest of a 17-year-old boy at a hotel room in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur on June 27.

Chua Kim Yap pleaded not guilty to the charge and the court set Aug 8 for mention of his case.

Yong allowed the prosecution's request not to grant him bail after DPP Aimi told the court that the accused had previous convictions including molestation, cheating and theft offences.

The judge also heard three other cases involving Lai Jun Kia, Muhammad Rafaie Padzil and Mohd Khalifah Hussin. She set July 20 for the next mention for Lai and Muhammad Rafaie cases and fixed Aug 8 for Mohd Khalifah's case.

-- BERNAMA