A father sexually abused his biological daughter since she was about 11.

When she was 15, he raped her at home while several of his other children were in the other room and the victim's mother was at work.

The Singaporean man, 47, was sentenced to 16 years' jail and 18 strokes of the cane on May 3 after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault with penetration.

Six other charges were taken into consideration.

They included two charges of rape and four of molest.

A gag order has been implemented to protect the identities of the victims.

Background

Court documents revealed that the man, the victim's mother, and their seven children lived in a one-bedroom flat in Lengkok Bahru.

The victim was their second oldest child.

The victim's mother worked at a bakery near her home, while the man worked odd jobs and would usually stay out to drink with his friends until the wee hours of the morning.

On Oct. 7, 2021, a school day during the Covid-19 pandemic, the man told the victim's younger sister to leave home and go to school.

When the younger sister explained that she had to remain home for home-based learning, he grew angry and shouted at her.

The family's oldest child advised her to look for their mother who was working at the bakery, and both siblings then left the flat.

With two daughters away, his wife out at work and the rest of the children sleeping, the man called the victim out to the living room.

She was 15 years old at that time.

The victim stayed at home that morning as she had an eye appointment.

She refused to go to the living room, knowing that her father would sexually assault her like he did on previous occasions.

The man then pulled the victim into the living room where he sexually assaulted her.

He then took her to the toilet, where he molested her.

After the incident, the victim's mother noticed the victim behaving "strangely".

The victim also complained that her backside hurt.

The victim also confided in a family friend about the pain and said that her father "had done something to her".

Later that month, the father sexually assaulted the victim again.

The day after, the victim's mother told the family friend that she was worried about the victim and thought she was hiding something.

The family friend told the mother what the daughter had said previously.

One of the younger daughters who overheard this exchange then told her mother what she saw.

She said she saw the accused summon the victim to the living room on Oct. 7 and she later saw both of them with their hair wet getting out of the toilet, which she thought was "strange".

The victim's mother then pulled the victim aside to ask her if anything had happened with the accused.

The victim eventually informed the mother about the sexual abuse.

The victim's mother believed the victim as there was a previous occasion when the man called out the victim's name while he was having sexual intercourse with her.

She confronted her husband over several days, before taking the daughter for a medical check-up and accompanying her to make a police report.

Sentencing

The prosecution sought a jail sentence of 14 to 16 years and 18 strokes of the cane, adding that the man had abused his position as the victim's biological father and breached the trust placed on him to care for and protect his children.

"Even as the victim grew up and realised that what her father did was wrong, she was afraid to tell anyone about the acts and did not know how to resolve the problem. She was also afraid that no one would believe her and was fearful of the consequences if she reported the matter," said the prosecution.

There was also an element of premeditation, as the man's sexual interest in the victim also resulted in predatory behaviour that he displayed towards her, but not towards his other children.

For instance, the man would check the victim's handphone to ensure that she did not have any boyfriends.

For each count of sexual assault by penetration, the man could have been sentenced to up to 20 years in jail and been liable to fine or caning.

Top photo via Ruth Chai