29-5-2023 (SINGAPORE) In a shocking and disturbing case, a teenager admitted in court on Monday (May 29) that he had attempted to rape his eight-year-old sister when he was 14 years old. The 17-year-old boy, whose identity is protected due to legal reasons, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted rape and attempted sexual assault. The court also heard about additional charges related to attempted sexual assault and the act of taking lewd photos of his sister, which will be considered during the sentencing process.
Living in a flat with his older brother, sister, parents, and grandparent, the teenager committed the first offense in June 2020 when he was alone with his younger sister in her bedroom. He asked her to undress and attempted to rape her, although he was ultimately unsuccessful. The girl, confused by the situation, did not resist. After the failed attempt, the boy took explicit photos of his sister and instructed her to forget about what had happened. He later deleted the photos.
In August 2020, the teenager disclosed the disturbing incident to a friend via text message, sharing details of the lewd photos he had taken. He also expressed his obscene intentions to his friend.
Around two years later, between February and July 2022, the boy struck again. While the siblings were alone at home with their older brother, he entered his sister’s bedroom while she was sleeping and attempted to sexually assault her. Their mother returned home and questioned their activities. The boy lied, claiming he was examining his sister’s private parts to help alleviate her pain. The mother believed him and warned him against such actions in the future.
However, in 2022, the boy’s friend informed school teachers about the disturbing revelations shared via text messages. The matter was promptly brought to the attention of the school principal, who met with the victim’s parents on July 27, 2022, and informed them about the messages. Consequently, the boy’s father filed a police report on August 5 of the same year.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution requested a reformative training report for the accused, citing the serious nature of the offenses. They objected to a probation suitability report due to the abuse of the accused’s position of trust as the victim’s older brother. The prosecution emphasized the young age of the victim and the violation of her sense of safety within the sanctity of her own home.
The accused was remanded, and when given the opportunity to speak, he remained silent. His father attended the hearing in court. District Judge Carol Ling requested both probation and reformative training reports, acknowledging the gravity of the crimes and aiming to approach the sentencing process in a comprehensive manner.
The boy’s case will be revisited in June, where the penalties for attempted rape and attempted sexual assault of a minor, which include imprisonment ranging from eight to 20 years and at least 12 strokes of the cane, will be considered.
