A religious school head in Bemban has been remanded for seven days until Friday on suspicion of attempted sexual harassment of a 14-year-old tahfiz student since last year.

Melaka Criminal Investigation Department Chief ACP Mohd Nor Yhazid Idris said the 28-year-old suspect was believed to have done the same thing to other tahfiz students in the school.

“The suspect would take turns with other teachers to look after the boys’ hostel twice a week, and based on early investigations, he was believed to have committed the offence by asking his victims to massage him before he later massaged them,” he said, when contacted in Jasin today.

He said the school was where the 31 male tahfiz students, aged between seven and 17 years, studied, prayed and lived in their hostel.

The case is being investigated under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Bill 2017, which provides for a prison sentence of up to 20 years and caning, if found guilty.

- Bernama