S'pore man, 31, jailed 10 years for sexually abusing younger sister from when she was 7

A 31-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced by the High Court on Monday (Dec. 1) to 10 years’ imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane for repeatedly sexually abusing his younger sister over a span of about 10 years, beginning from when she was seven and he was 13.

The man cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, who is now 25.

He pleaded guilty to three charges, two for sexual assault by penetration and one for incest, while another four charges, including attempted rape, were taken into consideration.

Sexual abuse began when siblings were aged 13 and 7

According to the court documents seen by Mothership, the offender committed sexual acts against the victim between 2007 and 2018, across the family’s homes during periods of renovation and relocation.

The first incident happened when he was around 13 and she was seven. Over the years, the acts escalated in nature.

One of these acts included an incident in April 2010 when he sexually penetrated her in the backseat of the family car with his finger when she was nine.

The last incident occurred sometime between September 2017 and 2018. The victim and the accused were both in the accused’s bedroom at night.

At the time, the victim was 17, and the accused was 23.

Most of the offences took place when the victim was under 12, meaning she did not have the legal capacity to consent.

Court documents noted that although no physical violence was used, the acts were nonetheless non-consensual.

According to the victim, when the accused first performed the sexual acts on the victim, the victim did not understand the sexual nature of the acts, as she was too young.

Victim kept silent for years to “protect her family”

According to the victim, she maintained her silence about the sexual acts even as she grew older, as she did not want people to judge her and she wanted to protect her family.

The disclosure only occurred in March 2023, after she confided in her partner.

The victim then found the courage to share the same information with her sisters, and they, in turn, shared it with their parents.

The victim eventually lodged a police report, and the offender was arrested on Apr. 18, 2023.

The prosecution’s sentencing noted that the victim continues to experience emotional flashbacks, strong discomfort and shame, and that her view of intimacy has irreversibly been altered due to the decade-long violations.

Prosecution sought 10 to 12 years’ jail

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sivakumar Ramasamy sought 10 to 12 years’ imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane, stressing that the victim will carry with her life-long trauma as a result of the accused’s actions.

The accused’s defence argued that his culpability ought to be viewed “through the lens of youth”, according to CNA.

The counsel claimed he acted out of “sexual curiosity rather than predatory intent”, adding that he stopped initiating sexual acts from around 2014 when he entered national service.

They pointed to “protective factors” such as support from his fiancée, continued backing from his family, who, although shocked, asked the court for some leniency and his alleged remorse.

A letter from his parents also expressed being “appalled” by the revelations but “heartened” by his confession and remorse.

Judge emphasises that the accused had betrayed a sibling’s trust

Justice Mavis Chionh noted in her decision that the offender had betrayed the trust placed in him as an older brother, as cited by CNA, and that the close and affectionate sibling relationship aggravated, rather than mitigated, the abuse of trust.

She emphasised that the victim had been a “mere child” when the abuse began and did not understand the nature of the acts.

While accepting that the offender was relatively young when the offences began, she stressed that “serious offences must be met with a condign punishment”.

Sentencing

The offender was ultimately sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment and 24 strokes of the cane, matching the lower end of the prosecution’s proposed range.

He asked the court for a deferment of his sentence for almost two months so he could spend Christmas and New Year with his family.

The judge rejected the request, granting only a two-week deferment.

Currently, the offender remains out on S$100,000 bail, with his passport retained by the investigation officer.

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