A Singaporean man has been sentenced to 7.5 years in jail for molesting his step-daughter for more than seven years. The convict started abusing the girl when she was just 12, and he continued the heinous act until her step-daughter reached the age of 19. The acts of the 45-year-old man include forced oral sex.
The court gave jail sentence for the convict on one charge of sexually assaulting a minor girl, one charge of sexually penetrating a minor and one charge of voluntarily causing hurt.
Details of the incident
The initial days of abuse started in 2006 when the victim was just 12. When she was alone at the home, he approached her and tried to molest. The step-father also ordered the girl not to reveal the incident to anyone, said the chargesheet.
When she was 15, the man forced her to give him oral sex. She complied to the instructions of her step-father, as all her previous efforts to combat his exploitation were a failure, argued the counsel.
In 2014, the man tried to molest the girl again and insisted on giving him oral sex. When the girl resisted, he continuously hit her with shoes. Later, the girl informed her mother that stepfather had hit her. Soon, the victim's mother called the police.
After some time, the girl informed her brother and mother about the ongoing sexual abuse. A complaint was soon made at the Toa Payoh Neighbourhood Police Centre.
During the hearing, Shruti Bopanna, the Deputy Public Prosecutor told the court that the man entered the family when the girl was just three, and she was like a fatherly figure to her until she reached puberty.
The defense lawyer, during the time of the hearing, informed the court that the man had committed the crime out of immense mental stress. However, the court ruled out this justification, stating that there are many fathers who face mental stress, and they are not committing such heinous acts.
While pronouncing the sentence, District Judge Kenneth Yap said that the accused has shattered the family's trust to the highest order.
