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Man who molested stepdaughter for over 20 years jailed almost 9 years

SINGAPORE — A man who sexually abused his stepdaughter for over 20 years and left her “emotionally scarred” was jailed eight years, nine months and eight weeks by the State Courts on Monday (11 January).

The victim had been resigned to the ordeal, believing that the only way out would be to end her life or wait until she could move into her own flat at the age of 35. The victim is now 33 years old.

In sentencing the man, District Judge Jasvender Kaur said the victim “has said any sentence you receive will not make a difference to her as it would not take the pain away”. The case has been labelled by the prosecution as the worst case of sexual abuse involving molest to come before the court.

The 67-year-old man, a former bus driver, earlier admitted to five charges of molesting the victim, with another nine charges to be taken into consideration for his sentencing.

He began sexually abusing the victim when she was a child, and continued doing so for over 20 years until 21 February 2017.

In one such incident in 1999, the victim, who was around 12 then, approached the man for help to insert medication into her anus for constipation. While helping the girl, the man molested her and felt aroused.

Emboldened by his stepdaughter’s silence, the man would frequently enter her bedroom stealthily to molest her. The victim kept silent as her family was financially dependent on the man, and she also feared that her mother would either disbelieve or blame her.

The victim finally confided in her younger brother in 2013, and the latter suggested that she locked her door to her bedroom. However, the man managed to force open the faulty lock.

After the lock was replaced, the sexual abuse stopped for two months.

Unbeknownst to the victim, a spare key to the lock was stored in a drawer under an altar, and the man used it to enter the bedroom and molest her for the last time on 21 February.

The victim then left the house to stay the night with a friend. Encouraged by her brother and the friend, she made a police report on 23 February 2017.

In sentencing the man, DJ Kaur considered that the man had been in a “position of high responsibility and trust” in relation to the victim. She also noted that the degree of exploitation and culpability were high as the acts involved were highly intrusive.

“You took advantage of her whenever you desired. All this happened in your own home when she should have been safe. You abused the trust in an extreme way and it has left her emotionally scarred,” the judge said.

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