SINGAPORE: Over three years, a man sexually abused his teenage daughter, who attempted suicide two times after the acts.
He was jailed for 21-and-a-half years on Monday (Oct 2) after pleading guilty to one charge of aggravated sexual assault and two charges of sexual assault.
Another nine charges for sexual offences against the same victim were considered for sentencing.
The man, now 62, cannot be named as this could lead to the identification of the victim, who is his biological daughter.
He was working as a taxi driver and was the family’s sole breadwinner at the time of the offences.
Prosecutors said that the man started sexually grooming his daughter in 2016, when she was 12 or 13, by showing her pornography when they were alone at home.
It was after one such occasion that he escalated to acts that outraged her modesty. The girl was shocked and uncomfortable, and pushed him away.
“The accused told the victim not to tell anyone about what he had done and that if she did so, the family would fall apart,” said Deputy Public Prosecutors Emily Koh and Sruthi Boppana.
“The accused also told the victim that he was teaching her how to protect herself as he performed these acts on her.”
A few days after that, the man entered his daughter’s bedroom when she was playing games on her phone and sexually assaulted her.
The sexual abuse continued in their family home throughout 2017 and 2018.
The victim did not tell anyone about it as she knew her family, which also comprised her mother and a younger sister, depended on her father financially.
She also did not know that what the offender had done to her was wrong. Although she felt uncomfortable, she feared reprisal if she tried to stop him, said prosecutors.
Sometime in 2018, when the victim was 14 or 15 years old, she began to realise what the offender had been doing to her was wrong.
She confided in a close friend, who referred her to a rape helpline. She called the helpline and was advised to tell her mother about the incidents.
When she confided in her mother, the woman confronted her husband about the assaults. Sometime later that year, the offender moved out of the family home.
Years later, the victim’s mother disclosed the matter to a friend, who reported it to authorities in February 2022.
IMPACT ON VICTIM
The victim started receiving psychiatric treatment in 2021 and was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder.
She attempted suicide twice, in 2021 and 2023, and was warded at the Institute of Mental Health after the first attempt.
In a victim impact statement, she described being “mentally affected” after the matter was reported to the police. She blamed herself and felt guilty as her family had “broken apart”.
She felt lonely as her relationships with her family and friends had been affected, and described feeling disturbed and upset whenever she thought about the abuse.
The victim also expressed anxiety about having to attend court proceedings, and said she was nervous and concerned about the outcome.
These issues affected her daily life and she was unable to focus on her studies.
Prosecutors said the offender had “grossly abused his position as a father” and “failed to live up to even the most basic tenets of fatherhood”.
“When a parent subjects their child to sexual abuse, there is a dual wrong,” they said. “Not only has he committed a serious crime, he has also violated the trust placed in him by society and by the victim.”
They argued that he showed premeditation in his sexual abuse by grooming the victim, and emotionally manipulated her to keep silent.
Noting the victim’s diagnoses and suicide attempts, they also argued that it is an aggravating factor when sexual assault results in serious mental effects like psychiatric illness.
The prosecution sought between 19 and 23 years’ jail, and an additional 12 months in lieu of the statutory maximum 24 strokes of the cane.
The offender cannot be caned as he is above 50.
Defence counsel Sim Bing Wen noted that given the offender’s age, he may spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Mr Sim said his client “knows that he has failed as a father” and regretted his actions, but hoped to be able to make amends, such as by giving his children financial support after his release.
Justice Valerie Thean sentenced the offender to 20-and-a-half years in jail, with an additional year’s imprisonment in lieu of 24 strokes of the cane.
For aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14, he could have been jailed for between eight and 20 years and given at least 12 strokes of the cane.
For each charge of sexual assault, he could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.