SINGAPORE: A 69-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years' jail on Monday (Nov 3) for raping his step-granddaughter and sexually assaulting her repeatedly when she was between nine and 10 years old.
The victim, who later developed post-traumatic stress disorder and engaged in self-harm, was in the care of her grandmother as her father was in jail and her mother was not in the picture.
The man pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of raping a minor and another of sexual assault by penetration of a minor. Another 12 charges were taken into consideration.
The court heard that the victim's father was incarcerated since 2010 and was not involved in her upbringing. She had never met her mother, and she stayed with her grandmother since she was born.
The offender moved into the unit with the victim and her grandmother when he remarried the grandmother in 2008. They had married each other in 1996 but divorced in 2000.
The trio slept in one room, with the girl sleeping on the floor and the adults sharing the bed.
From 2016 to 2017, the man sexually assaulted the victim on at least nine occasions, when she was nine to 10 years old.
Sometime between March 2016 and October 2016, he invited friends over for alcohol. When they left, the man was alone in the unit with the girl as his wife had gone out.
The man molested the girl and forced a sex act on her, causing her to feel "disgusted", the court heard.
Between January 2017 and June 2017, the man again invited friends over to drink alcohol.
When they left, he raped the victim. The girl started crying and he made a lewd comment to her before telling her to clean herself up.
In December 2019, the man and the victim's grandmother divorced and he moved out.
The offences went undetected until July 2020, when the victim was referred to her school counsellor for cutting herself.
She later revealed to the woman that she had been sexually abused by the offender.
The school reported the matter to the Child Protective Service, which informed the victim's grandmother about the allegation.
The victim later lodged a police report.
She was seen at the Child Guidance Clinic at the Institute of Mental Health and reported that she kept thinking about the sexual acts and had passive suicidal wishes.
She said she had been engaging in self-harm since she was in Primary 5, cutting herself when she felt stressed about what the offender did to her and worried about her grandmother's well-being.
A clinical psychologist who assessed her emotional functioning in the context of the sexual abuse found that she presented with trauma symptoms that met the clinical criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder.
This was in relation to the cumulative impact of all her trauma experiences, but particularly the sexual abuse.
Her trauma symptoms included: persistent intrusive memories and images reminding her of the traumatic experiences, avoidance of thoughts and feelings related to the trauma memories, strong emotional and physiological distress when reminded of or having to share about the trauma incidents, and hypervigilance, inappropriate self-blame, problems with concentration and sleep difficulties.
The victim also had some symptoms of depression but they did not meet the clinical criteria for mood disorders. Her symptoms included low mood, loneliness, reduced appetite and negative perceptions of self-worth.
The girl also reported a history of self-harm and suicidal thoughts and behaviour which were triggered by the unintended consequences from the sexual abuse disclosure in that she was removed from her grandmother's care, and her thoughts of not being "good enough" for her family.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Jing Min sought 18 to 20 years' jail for the offender, with no extra jail in lieu of caning.
Asked about the latter, she said the sought sentence was "adequate" to reflect the seriousness of the offences.
In mitigation, the remanded man said: "I regret all these. What's done has been done already."
He asked for forgiveness, saying this was his first time. He said he had his own family in Malaysia and that he has two daughters from his first marriage.
He said he would like to "be old" with his family and asked for some leniency.
Justice Aidan Xu said the acts he committed were "wicked" and that he had used the victim's body to "satisfy his lust".
While he was not of blood relation to the girl, he was a family member by marriage and was supposed to care for the girl and nurture her, said the judge.
While the offender asked for leniency, the judge said "little leniency can be shown" because of the gravity of the offences and the "great harm" caused to the victim.
He noted that the offender might pass on in jail but said this was the consequence of his offences.
For raping a minor, an offender can be given between eight and 20 years' jail and at least 12 strokes of the cane.
This offender could not be caned as he was above 50.
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The victim, who later developed post-traumatic stress disorder and engaged in self-harm, was in the care of her grandmother as her father was in jail and her mother was not in the picture.
The man pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of raping a minor and another of sexual assault by penetration of a minor. Another 12 charges were taken into consideration.
THE CASE
The court heard that the victim's father was incarcerated since 2010 and was not involved in her upbringing. She had never met her mother, and she stayed with her grandmother since she was born.
The offender moved into the unit with the victim and her grandmother when he remarried the grandmother in 2008. They had married each other in 1996 but divorced in 2000.
The trio slept in one room, with the girl sleeping on the floor and the adults sharing the bed.
From 2016 to 2017, the man sexually assaulted the victim on at least nine occasions, when she was nine to 10 years old.
Sometime between March 2016 and October 2016, he invited friends over for alcohol. When they left, the man was alone in the unit with the girl as his wife had gone out.
The man molested the girl and forced a sex act on her, causing her to feel "disgusted", the court heard.
Between January 2017 and June 2017, the man again invited friends over to drink alcohol.
When they left, he raped the victim. The girl started crying and he made a lewd comment to her before telling her to clean herself up.
In December 2019, the man and the victim's grandmother divorced and he moved out.
The offences went undetected until July 2020, when the victim was referred to her school counsellor for cutting herself.
She later revealed to the woman that she had been sexually abused by the offender.
The school reported the matter to the Child Protective Service, which informed the victim's grandmother about the allegation.
The victim later lodged a police report.
IMPACT ON VICTIM
She was seen at the Child Guidance Clinic at the Institute of Mental Health and reported that she kept thinking about the sexual acts and had passive suicidal wishes.
She said she had been engaging in self-harm since she was in Primary 5, cutting herself when she felt stressed about what the offender did to her and worried about her grandmother's well-being.
A clinical psychologist who assessed her emotional functioning in the context of the sexual abuse found that she presented with trauma symptoms that met the clinical criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder.
This was in relation to the cumulative impact of all her trauma experiences, but particularly the sexual abuse.
Her trauma symptoms included: persistent intrusive memories and images reminding her of the traumatic experiences, avoidance of thoughts and feelings related to the trauma memories, strong emotional and physiological distress when reminded of or having to share about the trauma incidents, and hypervigilance, inappropriate self-blame, problems with concentration and sleep difficulties.
The victim also had some symptoms of depression but they did not meet the clinical criteria for mood disorders. Her symptoms included low mood, loneliness, reduced appetite and negative perceptions of self-worth.
The girl also reported a history of self-harm and suicidal thoughts and behaviour which were triggered by the unintended consequences from the sexual abuse disclosure in that she was removed from her grandmother's care, and her thoughts of not being "good enough" for her family.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Jing Min sought 18 to 20 years' jail for the offender, with no extra jail in lieu of caning.
Asked about the latter, she said the sought sentence was "adequate" to reflect the seriousness of the offences.
In mitigation, the remanded man said: "I regret all these. What's done has been done already."
He asked for forgiveness, saying this was his first time. He said he had his own family in Malaysia and that he has two daughters from his first marriage.
He said he would like to "be old" with his family and asked for some leniency.
Justice Aidan Xu said the acts he committed were "wicked" and that he had used the victim's body to "satisfy his lust".
While he was not of blood relation to the girl, he was a family member by marriage and was supposed to care for the girl and nurture her, said the judge.
While the offender asked for leniency, the judge said "little leniency can be shown" because of the gravity of the offences and the "great harm" caused to the victim.
He noted that the offender might pass on in jail but said this was the consequence of his offences.
For raping a minor, an offender can be given between eight and 20 years' jail and at least 12 strokes of the cane.
This offender could not be caned as he was above 50.
Continue reading...