Sentenced 28 years in total but will be able to serve just 8 years concurrently

I wonder whether the judge's decicison in the case of a woman abusing her boyfriend's daughter is just. The judge ordered the original total sentence of 28 years imprisonment to be served concurrently instead and the woman need only serve 8 years. Most probably with good behaviour, she might even be released before the full sentence has been served. The woman, Shalina Sundiri Abdullah, 42, was sentenced to six years on the charge of inserting cili padi into the girl’s vagina, eight years for sticking a mop handle into the victim’s private parts, three years for hitting her with a piece of wood, eight years for pouring hot water and three years for beating her with a hose.

The heinous physical and sexual abuse inflicted upon the then 13-year old girl would definitely leave a psychological scar on the child. The abuses occurred in December 2010 and it has been two years since the incident. Does anyone think such an abuse suffered by a child will be forgotten in a flash? The prosecutor did mention that all those abuses will have a permanent effect on the girl even if the scars will heal with time. During the time it takes for the body to heal, her abuser will get decent treatment at a secure government facility. And of course at the taxpayers expense.

I'm not sure the sentence has given the right message to others who are in the same situation. Do abusers get reduced sentences because they plead guilty to their crimes? In this case even if the abuser cries tears of blood in remorse, the abusive act has been perpetrated on the child and will haunt the victim forever. Psychological help might lessen the impact but there is no guarantee that the child will be able to lead a normal life again. Victims of monstrous abuses such as these need additional help and seeing the abuser getting a lesser total sentence does not lessen the inner turmoil that they have to endure.

Our justice system does not allow an eye for an eye compensation for any crimes and the maximum jail sentence must be meted out to at least give time for the abuser to reflect and make amends with her own self. The abuser needs pyschological help too. We wouldn't want her to come out and repeat the same acts on others in future.

Image from brookdalecc