Father jailed 12.5 years for sexually assaulting daughter
SINGAPORE — A father who sexually abused his daughter between 2010 and 2013 while she was in primary school was jailed for 12-and-a-half years at the High Court on Monday (13 May).
The man’s crimes came to light after the victim, now 16, confided in her boyfriend and her mother about the matter a few years later. The father, now 53, confessed to his crimes.
He pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated sexual assault by penetration and one count of aggravated outrage of modesty. Five other similar charges were considered in his sentencing.
He cannot be named to protect the victim’s identity.
Assaulted daughter in presence of her siblings
The father worked as a retail sales supervisor while the victim’s mother worked as a sales promoter. She often came back late as she had to work the night shift.
The victim has an older sister and a younger brother.
The father would send the children to school and fetch them back every day. He was particularly close to the victim as she would often seek his help while doing homework.
Sometime in 2010, when the victim was in Primary 2, she asked her father for help with her maths homework. He asked her to go to his room and then locked the door. He told her to perform oral sex on him and she complied.
Shortly after, the victim’s younger brother knocked on the door. The father told the victim not to say anything to her siblings or her mother.
After the father attended to the victim’s brother, he returned to the bedroom and helped the victim complete her maths homework.
On another occasion the same year, the father rubbed himself against the victim. He told her not to tell anyone about the matter and to keep it a secret.
The next year, the father also sexually abused the victim while her siblings were asleep in the living room.
Victim confided in boyfriend, mother
In October 2016, the victim got into a relationship with her boyfriend when they were both studying together in Secondary 2.
Around May or June 2017, she started to confide in him about the sexual abuse she suffered. He advised her to tell her mother about the matter, but the victim was concerned that it would break up her family.
The victim eventually confided in her mother around June or July 2017. The father admitted to the abuse and sought forgiveness from the victim.
The victim’s parents were not supportive of her relationship with her boyfriend and constantly reminded her to focus on her studies.
On 19 March last year, after a school concert in the evening, the victim and her boyfriend went out. She returned home at about 3am the next morning.
When the father saw the victim walking back home with the boyfriend, he got angry. The father and boyfriend punched each other but no one was injured.
A few days later on 23 March last year, the mother complained to the teacher at a parent-teacher meeting that the victim had come home late and blamed the boyfriend for being a bad influence on her daughter. The victim cried at the meeting.
Later, the teacher confronted and scolded the boyfriend for maintaining his relationship with the victim. He then broke down and told the teacher about the sexual abuse suffered by the victim.
The school alerted a counsellor and arranged for the victim to be accompanied to the police station to make a report on 26 March last year.
The father was arrested the same day.
The punishment for sexual assault by penetration of a victim under 14 is between eight and 20 years’ jail, along with at least 12 strokes of the cane.
The maximum penalty for outraging the modesty of a victim under 14 is up to five years’ jail, along with a fine and caning.
Only male offenders below 50 are liable for caning.
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