52-year-old man jailed 18 years for sexually assaulting 12-year-old daughter
On Thursday (16 Jan), a 52-year-old man was sentenced to 18 years’ jail for sexually assaulting his teenage daughter over a period of two years, when she was between 12 and 14.
He had pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual assault by penetration.
Explaining his actions, the man accused his daughter of throwing “sidelong glances”.
Father sexually assaulted teenage daughter over 2-year-period
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the man worked as a technician from 2019 to 2021, during which the offences were committed. He lived with the victim, her two brothers, and the victim’s mother.
The sexual assault first started between 31 Jul and 9 Aug 2019 when the victim’s mother was visiting relatives in India.
The victim had returned home from school when her father entered the room and sat next to her. He then touched her leg and sexually abused her.
Source: Canva
About two months later in Oct 2019, the girl returned home after finishing her Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) paper. She was home alone with her father when the latter sexually assaulted her.
This happened again between Oct and Dec 2019.
Over the next two years, the father would enter his daughter’s room to molest her on at least two occasions, while the victim’s mother was working the night shift.
In 2021, he even sent her a pornographic video via WhatsApp, reported The Straits Times.
In July 2021, the victim reported the incidents to her form teacher and the father was arrested on the same day.
The doctor at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) subsequently assessed the offender and found him fit to plead as a paedophile.
He claimed that she was looking at him “in a sexual mode”
Deputy Public Prosecutors (DPP) David Koh and Alexandra Shamini Joseph sought 18 to 21 years’ imprisonment, with the sentence to include a year’s jail in lieu of caning.
In his mitigation, the father accused the daughter of throwing “sidelong glances” that caused him to “behave in a wrong manner”.
Even though the father claimed he was remorseful for his actions, DPP Koh said his description came across as if he was blaming the victim, thus weakening his supposed remorse.
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Featured image adapted from Canva.
