SINGAPORE: A 46-year-old man who molested his underage stepdaughter was jailed for a year and two months on Monday (Oct 5) and given two strokes of the cane.
The man, who cannot be named due to gag orders protecting the victim's identity, has since divorced the victim's mother, his lawyer said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe court heard that the man lived with the victim, then 15, and the family at the time of the offences in 2017.
On Sep 15, 2017, when the man was alone with the victim in her bedroom, he massaged her ankle before molesting her. The girl was shocked and stayed still, and refused when her stepfather asked if he could join her when she slept.
He then told her not to tell anyone about what happened and left. The teenager cried and told a friend about what happened.
After this, she stayed out late after school as far as she could, as she did not want to be alone with her stepfather, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheryl Yeo.
AdvertisementAdvertisementIn the wee hours of Oct 3, 2017, the victim was asleep in her room, while her stepsisters, aged eight and nine at the time, slept on mattresses on the floor.
The man entered the room and molested the victim, who woke up. Feeling frightened, she stayed still and pretended to be asleep. Her stepfather molested her a few more times before stopping.
When the victim went to school the next day, she told her friends what happened, and they accompanied her to report the incident to her form teacher. The girl later lodged a police report.
The offender pleaded guilty to one charge of outraging the victim's modesty, with another similar charge taken into consideration.
The prosecutor asked for the sentence that was meted out, while defence lawyer Amarjit Singh Sidhu asked for 10 months' jail.
He said his client had four children with his then-wife, and the family of seven were close before the incident. The couple is now divorced, said the lawyer.
He said his client was "a dedicated husband and father" to his then-wife and five children, including the victim.
Mr Singh said his client is deeply remorseful and has realised his mistakes, "showing his remorse by pleading guilty".
"He also promises that he will work hard to seek counselling and help for his issues," said the lawyer. "Both his ex-wife and the stepdaughter have forgiven him and written letters to court for a lenient sentence."
For outraging the victim's modesty, the man could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these punishments.
Let's block ads! (Why?)
More...