[Updated as of 28 July 2020 at 1.50pm]
A 53-year-old serial criminal has been sentenced to 32 years' jail on Monday (July 27) for raping, molesting, criminally intimidating and causing hurt to his then 23-year-old daughter, which included threatening her at knifepoint to force her into compliance to his sexual deviancy.
The High Court judge Hoo Sheau Peng took into account of the man's violent criminal past in sentencing, which included jail term and caning sentences for attempted murder in 2000 and for robbery with hurt in 2010.
The judge also noted the 53-year-old's "incredible" account where he claimed his daughter framed him and had consented to the sexual acts.
This was despite the "trust, love and concern" the daughter gave, according to Deputy Public Prosecutor Kavita Uthrapathy. The then 23-year-old had picked him up from prison, persuaded her mother to take him in and even found him a job.
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A 53-year-old man was found guilty on 3 June 2020 from nine charges of raping, molesting, criminally intimidating and causing hurt to his daughter which included threatening her with a penknife.
The former forklift driver claimed trial to all charges, according to reports from TODAY.
He, however, claimed that his daughter—who was 23 years old then—had initiated and consented to the sexual acts. He wants rape charges to be changed to incest instead.
While both parties cannot be named due to a gag order, the daughter is now 27 years old.
Incident Took Place in March 2016
The sexual assault took place in the wee hours of 27 March 2016, in a flat near Sembawang, according to TODAY. It was where he lived together with his daughter and ex-wife.
5 days prior to the incident, his ex-wife was not at home as she had left the flat to stay at her son's place.
Both unemployed then, it was said that father and daughter drank alcohol and talked, which led the then 23-year-old to fall asleep after.
She only woke up after feeling someone touching her private parts over her shorts, in which she testified in court. She also said her father had done so while completely naked.
To avoid his daughter from alerting others and to force her into compliance to his sexual deviancy, the man held a penknife at her neck.
Apart from ignoring her pleas to let her go, the man said: “Don’t shout, I’ll slash you.”
“Take out your clothings, otherwise I will use the knife to cut you till you die”
According to prosecutors, the man raped his daughter twice that morning, forced her to give him oral sex, as well as punched her on the head and strangled her when she tried to wrestle the penknife away from him.
Denied Claims of Causing Hurt
During the trial, the man admitted to having sex twice with his daughter on the morning of March 2016, along with other sexual acts.
The man testified that his daughter had started feeling aroused and initiated sexual acts with him and claimed that she told him to “do it and make her happy”.
However, he denied touching his daughter's private parts, threatening her with a penknife or punching and strangling her.
A laceration was found on her neck, according to CNA.
In addition, a psychiatrist from the Institute of Mental Health also told the court that the daughter has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, exhibiting depressive symptoms.
Arrested the Next Day
The next morning, the daughter pretended that she was heading out to buy a drink so she could retrieve her mobile phone back from the man.
During the period before his arrest, the man called his daughter 36 times on her mobile phone. He also sent her 8 text messages and a WhatsApp message, which included an apology for his actions.
In the meantime, the daughter called an unnamed person retrieved from court documents, who then brought her to Jurong Police Division headquarters.
The man was later arrested that evening around 8pm.
Charges Faced
It is said that the man will return next month to be sentenced.
For aggravated rape, he could be jailed up to 20 years. While he is subjected to a mandatory minimum of 12 strokes of the cane for his offence, he cannot be caned by law as he is above 50 years old.
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