Man, 53, convicted after raping daughter twice and threatening her with penknife

A 53-year-old man was found guilty on June 3 for 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, TODAY reported.

The man had claimed that his daughter — who was 23 years old then — had initiated and consented to the sexual acts. He wants the 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. 

Sexual assault took place in March 2016

The sexual assault was reported to have taken place in the wee hours of March 27, 2016, in a flat near Sembawang. It was where the man had lived together with his daughter and ex-wife. 

Five days prior to the incident, his ex-wife was not home as she had left the flat to stay at her son’s place. 

That left both father and daughter, who were both unemployed then, alone in the flat. They drank alcohol while they talked, which later led to the daughter falling asleep. 

She only woke up after feeling someone touching her private parts over her shorts, the young woman said in court, and added that her father had done so while he was completely naked. 

To prevent his daughter from alerting others to the crime, as well as to force her into compliance with his sexual deviancy, the man held a penknife at her neck. 

The man ignored her pleas to let her go and told her: “Don’t shout, I’ll slash you.” 

“Take out your clothings, otherwise I will use the knife to cut you till you die. [sic]”

According to prosecutors, the man raped his daughter twice that morning and forced her to give him oral sex. He also 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 in 2016, along with other sexual acts.

The man testified that his daughter had started feeling aroused and initiated sexual acts with him that day and claimed that she told him to “do it and make her happy”.

But 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, CNA reported.

In addition, a psychiatrist from the Institute of Mental Health told the court that the daughter has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and she is exhibiting depressive symptoms.

ALSO READ: Youth pleads guilty to attacking then-boyfriend's father with knife

Arrested the next day

The next morning, the daughter pretended that she was heading out to buy a drink so she could take her mobile phone back from her father.

Before his arrest, the man called his daughter 36 times on her mobile phone. He also sent her eight text messages and a WhatsApp message, which included an apology for his actions.

After leaving the flat, the young woman called an unnamed person who then brought her to Jurong Police Division headquarters, court documents revealed.

The man was later arrested on March 28, 2016 at 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 as he is above 50 years old.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.