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Man gets 17 years' jail, 24 strokes for sexually assaulting girlfriend's daughters

Singapore's Supreme Court (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)
Singapore's Supreme Court (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

SINGAPORE — A 36-year-old freelance cameraman was on Monday (9 November) jailed for 17 years with 24 strokes of the cane for sexually assaulting two underaged sisters between 2012 and 2017.

At the time of the offences, he was in a long-term relationship with the victims’ mother and they referred to him as “Daddy”.

His crimes came to light when the younger victim could no longer tolerate his behaviour and told her school counsellors about what happened.

It was only during the course of police investigations that it emerged that he had also assaulted the older victim.

At the High Court on Monday, the culprit pleaded guilty to two charges each of aggravated sexual assault by penetration and aggravated outrage of modesty.

Five other similar charges were considered in sentencing.

Victims’ mother often worked late

The man was between 28 and 33 at the time of the offences, while the first victim was between 10 and 14, and the second victim was between 8 and 11.

The perpetrator got into a relationship with the victims’ mother in 2010 and started staying over at her one-room flat. Sometime in late 2014 or early 2015, he moved in to live with her.

As their mother often had to work night shifts, the culprit would tend to the victims’ daily needs such as combing their hair, giving them money, buying for them things and hugging them.

He started abusing the first victim in 2012 when she was between 10 and 11 and sleeping at night. The abuse lasted for three years, until she was in secondary school. Although she felt angry and annoyed, the victim did not know how to stop the culprit, the court heard.

Sometime in 2014, he turned his attention to the second victim and began sexually assaulting her too. The abuse lasted till 2017.

Culprit felt conflicted after assault

On one occasion in 2012, the perpetrator inserted his penis into the older victim’s mouth as she slept.

“After sensing some movement from (her), the accused quickly withdrew his penis. He knew he was not supposed to do such an act and went back to sleep with mixed feelings,” said Deputy Public Prosector Rebecca Wong.

A few days later, he placed his hand under the victim’s shorts and rubbed her vagina.

“It subsequently occurred to the accused that what he was doing was wrong, and he withdrew his hand. The accused stayed awake for some time and kept telling himself that (the victim) was his daughter, and not his lover. The accused eventually fell asleep some time later,” said DPP Wong.

Played ‘blindfold game’ with older victim

On another occasion the same year, the victim came home from school and was alone with the culprit.

He suggested they play a “blindfold game” in which she was supposed to identify different spices he put into her mouth while she was blindfolded.

The perpetrator started dipping his fingers into condiments like sugar and salt before inserting his penis into her mouth.

“After withdrawing his penis, the accused quickly inserted a finger with something spicy on it into (the victim’s) mouth and asked if she could tell whether there was any difference. As she was scared, she merely answered that she could not and asked for some water to drink. They stopped playing the game thereafter,” said DPP Wong.

Younger victim confided in counsellors

Sometime in 2015, while the second victim was home alone with the culprit and watching television, he came up to sit beside her, placed his hands under her shirt and grabbed her breasts. At the time she was between 8 and 9.

Shortly after, he told her to sit in front of him on the floor and made her hold his penis; but she didn’t want to kiss his penis. “The accused then told her that if she did not comply, he would make her do worse things,” said DPP Wong.

She complied and he made her masturbate him. When she cried, the perpetrator told her to wash up and not tell anyone about what had happened.

In September 2017, the second victim could no longer take the man’s assaults. A day after he abused her, she told her school counsellors about what happened and they reported the matter to the authorities.

The victims’ mother was called to the police station and the culprit followed her there as he suspected that the matter had something to do with him; he was arrested there.

A child psychiatrist found that the first victim felt angry and wondered why the perpetrator abused her, while the second victim felt scared after the incidents.

The maximum punishment for outrage of modesty against a person under 14 is up to five years’ jail, along with a fine and caning. The maximum punishment for sexual assault by penetration against a person under 14 is up to 20 years’ jail along with a fine and caning.

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