Man jailed, caned for attempting to rape girlfriend’s daughter 14 years ago

SINGAPORE – A 41-year-old man will be put behind bars for attempting to rape his girlfriend’s daughter in a toilet late at night 14 years ago.

The girl, who later became his stepdaughter when he married her mother, was aged 11 to 12 years old at the time and did not know that what he did to her was wrong.

When the girl was 14, the man molested her while she was watching television on a bed with her younger step-siblings, according to court papers.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, now 26, was on May 29 sentenced to six years and seven months’ jail and eight strokes of the cane.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted aggravated rape, for which he was given five years and six months’ jail and five strokes of the cane.

He also admitted to one count of outrage of modesty, for which he was given 13 months’ jail and three strokes of the cane.

The court heard that the man had been in a relationship with the victim’s biological mother since 2004, and they got married in 2015. They have four children, who are now aged between 11 and 19.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Daphne Lim said the man moved in with the victim’s family in 2004 and was a father figure to the girl.

On the night in 2010 or 2011 when he attempted to rape the victim, he woke her up at about 3am and took her to the toilet in the kitchen while the rest of the family was asleep.

“He did so because he knew the victim was quiet and would follow his instructions,” said the DPP.

When he failed to rape her, he made her perform a sex act on him. The girl felt pain from the assault.

He molested her in September 2013 when the victim was watching television with her step-siblings in a room. The girl’s mother was not home at the time.

While the man was in prison for about 1½ years in 2014 for other offences, the girl realised what he had done to her was wrong. Court documents did not mention the offences that landed him in jail then.

As his release date got closer, she ran away from home because she was afraid of living under the same roof as her stepfather.

She shared her fears with her mother, who arranged for her to live with a foster family. The girl has lived with them since.

The mother made a police report in May 2023 on the advice of a social worker. It was not revealed in court when she found out about her daughter’s sexual abuse or how long she had waited before informing the police.

The man was arrested on May 18, 2023, and has been remanded in prison since.

The prosecution sought a sentence of up to seven years and five months’ jail and nine strokes of the cane for the man.

DPP Lim said there was a serious abuse of position and trust in this case.

“Instead of protecting the victim, he took advantage of the trust that had been placed in him and the ready access (he had) to the victim and used it for his own sexual gratification,” she added.

Defence lawyer Michelle Tang said in mitigation that her client’s offence was not premeditated. Instead, he had “seized an opportunity”.

She told the court the victim has forgiven him and his early plea of guilt should be taken into account as this “would not have been a clear-cut case had it gone to trial”.

In sentencing the man, District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan said the predominant sentencing consideration for this case is deterrence and retribution.

He said: “I am of the view that his sentence is proportionate to his criminality and will send a strong signal that our society will not tolerate the sexual abuse of young children. Such offenders will be punished even if their offences come to light many years later.”

For attempted aggravated rape, the man could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined or caned.

For outrage of modesty, he could have been jailed for up to two years, fined and caned.