29-1-2024 (SINGAPORE) A 38-year-old man has been sentenced to 13 years in jail and 16 strokes of the cane for repeatedly attempting to rape his own 4-year-old daughter. The man, who cannot be named due to legal restrictions protecting the identity of his daughter, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted statutory rape in November 2022.
The shocking ordeal came to light when the young girl, now 15 years old, attended a sex education talk at school during her primary five year. It was during this talk that she realized the heinous nature of her father’s actions and the fact that they were morally and legally wrong. The realization left her feeling frightened and isolated, fearing that her friends would shun her and that her mother would bear the burden of the family’s responsibilities if her father were to be imprisoned.
Further investigations revealed that the man had been attempting to rape his daughter since she was in kindergarten, persisting in his horrifying actions until she reached early primary school. He had explicitly instructed her to keep the abuse a secret, causing her immense distress and confusion.
The girl’s suffering was exacerbated by her deep sense of self-blame. In therapy sessions with a psychiatrist, she expressed feelings of overwhelming guilt for what her father had done to her. She believed that she had caused her siblings to lose a father figure and felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. Tragically, her emotional turmoil led her to self-harm, as she believed she deserved the pain inflicted upon herself.
A psychiatric evaluation of the perpetrator revealed that he suffered from pedophilic disorder, a mental disorder characterized by a persistent sexual attraction to prepubescent children. However, it was determined that he was of sound mind at the time of the crimes. The report also noted that the man had been consuming adult pornography on a daily basis since his arrival in Singapore in 2001.
During the court hearing in November 2022, defense lawyer Akesh Abhilash from Harry Elias Partnership acknowledged the gravity of the crimes committed and acknowledged that there was little to be said in mitigation. He emphasized that the defendant had shown remorse and had entered an early guilty plea.
The sentencing decision took into consideration an additional three charges of molestation that occurred when the victim was between four and five years old, as well as the defendant taking explicit photographs of her when she was 11 years old.
