Accused arrested for raping sister when she was 11, then raped another girl, 13, when out on bail

Samuel Devaraj
The Straits Times
Jan 5, 2023

He raped his 11-year-old sister while she was asleep, having sexually and physically assaulted her before.

After he was caught and later released on bail for the offences, the secondary school student raped another girl, who was 13 years old at the time.

On Thursday, the man, now 20, was ordered to undergo at least 12 months of reformative training, which involves detention in a centre with a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.

Apart from admitting to the two counts of rape, the offender pleaded guilty to one charge of sexually assaulting his sister with penetration in June 2017 when she was eight or nine years old, and another charge of voluntarily causing hurt against her in 2018.

He cannot be named owing to a gag order on the identities of the victims.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Tay Jingxi and Ng Shao Yan said the offender lived in the same home as his sister when he raped her on Jan 29, 2020.

The girl – who was a primary school pupil at that time – initially opened her eyes to see what he was doing, but quickly closed them and pretended to be asleep for fear that he might harm her if she reacted.

After her brother went to sleep, the girl went to the toilet to wash herself.

On Feb 1, 2020, the offender was released on bail for the offences committed against his sister.

Some time in August 2021, he invited a 13-year-old girl to meet him at his HDB block. They met in a stairwell, and as they were talking, the offender suddenly leaned forward and kissed the girl on the lips.

The girl was shocked and tried in vain to push him away. She then felt him insert his tongue into her mouth.

He then made her perform a sex act on him before he raped her. The girl managed to kick the offender and fled home.

The offender texted her the same day and told her not to tell anyone about what had occurred.

Said the prosecution: “As a result of the accused’s sexual assault, (the second victim) felt afraid about the consequences she would suffer if others discovered what had happened, including the risk of her being unable to socialise with her friends and the fear that she would be a disgrace to society.”

In their sentencing submissions, the prosecution noted that the offender was not recommended for probation and that a clinical psychologist assessed him as having a moderate-to-high risk of sexual re-offending.

They also noted how the offences caused actual psychological and physical harm, as well as potential harm, to both his victims.

The DPPs added: “The nature of the accused’s offences, his inclination towards sexual violence, and socially unconventional sexual attitudes reveal him to be a recalcitrant sexual offender whose deviant behaviour must be nipped in the bud.”