KUALA LUMPUR: A police officer and his wife were sentenced to 12 and 10 years in prison, respectively, by the Klang Sessions Court for trafficking their Indonesian maid for forced labour exploitation, causing the woman to suffer severe injuries.
Judge Zulqarnain Hassan handed down the sentence to S. Vijayan Rao, 40, and his wife, K. Rineshini Naidu, 37, after finding that the defence failed to raise reasonable doubt at the end of the defence's case.
"Based on the photos submitted, it is clear that the victim had been injured. According to the testimony and medical report from forensic expert Dr Siew Sheue Feng of Hospital Kuala Lumpur, 20 fresh injuries were found on the victim's head, three on the neck, five on the chest, one on the back, and six on each of the victim's right and left hands. In addition, there were 42 scars on the head, two on the chest, seven on the back, two on the abdomen, and eight on the right hand.
"It was clear that she was in a living hell for three years in the country. A maid is not a doll, nor is she a cheap item. She has feelings, blood flowing through her veins, and a beating heart," said the judge on Friday (Nov 29).
Zulqarnain said that the human trafficking crime committed in the home of a police officer clashes with the official uniform he wears, stressing that a fitting punishment should be imposed.
The court also ordered them to pay RM80,000 in compensation to the victim within a month, and failure to do so will add another six months to their sentence.
The couple was accused of committing the crime at a house in Taman Industri Bolton, Gombak, between March and August 2022 under Section 13(a) of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which carries a punishment of life imprisonment or a maximum of five years imprisonment and may also include whipping.
Rineshini was also sentenced to four years in prison and fined RM5,000 for causing grievous harm to the victim.
Zulqarnain also sentenced Vijayan to six months in prison and an RM25,000 fine for employing the victim without a valid permit at the same location in December 2021 under Section 55B(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63. This section carries a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment or a minimum fine of RM5,000 and a maximum fine of RM50,000, or both.
The court ordered that the prison sentences run concurrently starting today, and the couple will serve an additional four months in prison if they fail to pay the fines.
However, the court allowed the couple’s stay of execution application pending the outcome of their appeal at the High Court.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul'Ain Abu Bakar led the prosecution, while Rineshini Naidu and Vijayan Rao were each represented by lawyers Kamarul Zaman Abdul Rahman and A. Narainasami.- Bernama
