A 29-year-old welfare centre caretaker was charged on Monday with three counts of abetting her husband to molest two girls in Malaysia. Khairulbariah Mian was charged with committing the offences in the living room of two welfare centres in Keramat, Kuala Lumpur between December 2015 and 2016.
The court documents showed that the Khairulbariah was accused of abetting her 56-year-old husband Zahari Alwi, by using criminal force with the intention to outrage the modesty of two girls, aged 10 and 11. After all the charges were read out to her before magistrate Haslinda A Raof, the accused pleaded not guilty.
If convicted, she could face a maximum jail term of 10 years, a fine and/or caning.
The court has offered Khairulbariah a bail of RM18,000 (US$4,600). Initially, the prosecution had asked for RM30,000 in bail. However, Khairulbariah's lawyer Illynadiah Mohd Yusof appealed on the grounds that Khairulbariah's father, who is acting as her guarantor, was a pensioner.
Channel NewsAsia reported that as an additional condition for the lower bail, Khairulbariah was prohibited from intimidating the victims. The court will hear her case again on Mar 21.
Alwi, who was remanded over the incident, will also be brought to court soon.
