24 years' jail for man, 55, who sexually abused stepdaughter for 6 years

SINGAPORE - Over a period of six years, when she was between eight and 14 years old, a girl was sexually abused by her stepfather, who sneaked into her room two to three nights a week to violate her.

Even after he stopped, she carried the burden of the abuse for the next four years, until she suffered a mental breakdown and disclosed what her stepfather had done to her.

On Friday (Feb 7), the victim, now 20, cried in court when the man, now 55, apologised to her after he was sentenced to 24 years' jail.

He pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual assault by penetration of a minor, with another eight charges taken into consideration.

The High Court heard that the victim was seven years old when her mother married the accused in 2006.

The family moved into a flat with one bedroom the following year.

The victim slept in the room with her older brother and younger sister, while the couple slept in the living room.

In 2008, when she was eight, her stepfather started sexually abusing her shortly after her older brother moved out to live with their biological father.

The accused worked as a cleaner from 6am to noon, while the victim's mother worked at a factory and was on a shift that saw her returning home close to midnight.

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As a result, the accused was the only adult at home with the two sisters for long periods of time.

One night in 2008, while the mother was still at work, he entered the bedroom to molest the victim, who was sleeping on the lower deck of a bunk bed.

After he left the room, the victim was shocked and unsure of what to do.

The man continued molesting her while his wife was not at home.

Over time, he became bolder and the abuse escalated to more intrusive acts.

In 2011, the victim moved to sleep on the upper deck after quarrelling with her younger sister over sleeping arrangements.

But this failed to deter the accused, who simply climbed up to the upper deck, lay beside the victim and carried out sexual acts on her.

The abuse stopped in 2014 only after the man was arrested and jailed for drug offences.

He and the girl's mother divorced that same year.

In January 2018, the victim suffered from an anxiety attack and was seen by doctors at Changi General Hospital, where she disclosed the sexual abuse.

She was referred to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), where she was diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder. IMH reported the case to the police.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Lee, in seeking at least 24 years' jail, said the accused stole the victim's innocence from her in those six years.

"That period of her life, which should have been filled with happy recollections of school and friends, is instead irreparably corrupted by memories of shock, disgust and despair," he said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.