Advertisement

Singaporean gets 21 months' jail, 4 cane strokes for molesting niece

(State Courts file photo by Yahoo Singapore)
(State Courts file photo by Yahoo Singapore)

He was her uncle and akin to a second father to her.

But the 45-year-old Singaporean man betrayed the trust of his then 13-year-old niece by molesting her in February 2014.

On Monday (22 May), he was sentenced to 21 months’ of jail and four strokes of the cane.

Both the man, who is married with no children, and the girl cannot be named due to a gag order.

After a trial, the man, who works at a pharmaceutical company, was found guilty on 11 April this year on one count of outraging the girl’s modesty.

According to the charge sheet, the offence took place on 10 February 2014 at an HDB flat in the West. The man had used criminal force on his niece by fondling her private parts and performing oral sex on her.

In mitigation, the man’s lawyer, N Kanagavijayan, said that it was the first time his client was convicted on a sexual offence. “He is not a sexual predator, or involved in sexual grooming,” said the defence counsel.

The lawyer asked for a 12-month jail term.

“Prior to the offence, he has never spoken to [the girl] about sex and matters touching on sexual connotation,” said the lawyer, adding the acts were a “one-off” offence.

Kanagavijayan added that his client has been involved in charitable work, including volunteering at a hospice.

On the other hand, the prosecution, represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Sruthi Boppana, asked for at least 27 months’ jail and and four strokes of the cane.

“The accused is the victim’s uncle, whom she described as being like a second father to her. Yet, the accused has no qualms satisfying his sexual desires by preying on her,” said Boppana.

The man intends to appeal both his client’s conviction and sentence, the lawyer said.

For outraging the modesty of a person under 14, the man could have been jailed up to five years, fined or caned, or a combination thereof.

Other Singapore stories:

Gardener jailed two weeks for showing obscene image to boy

NTU professor gets 18 months’ mandatory treatment order for shoplifting