Technician who raped teenage daughter described as "responsible family man" by his lawyer

Selina Lum
The Straits Times
Nov 14, 2018

A man who raped his daughter repeatedly when she was 14 was sentenced to 26 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane on Wednesday (Nov 14).

Calling it a "very sad" case, a High Court judge said the 35-year-old technician had betrayed the trust of his daughter, effectively driven her out of her home and displayed no remorse at all by making her go through a trial.

The man, who cannot be named to protect his daughter's identity, was convicted last month of raping her on two occasions at the family flat in Punggol in 2014 and 2015.

After the matter came to light, his semen was found on a pair of shorts she was wearing, but the man and his wife maintained that their daughter was lying.

On Wednesday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Winston Man asked for 28 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane, arguing that the man had abused the trust the victim had reposed in him as a parent.

The victim suffered in silence, until she confided in her then boyfriend, because she did not want the family to break up, said the DPP.

The man's lawyer, Mr A. Revi Shanker, sought 15 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane.

He said his client, who has two younger children, was a responsible family man and that his wife was still "very supportive" of him till this day.

The accused is appealing against his conviction and sentence, and is out on $60,000 bail.

During the trial, the girl testified that her father had raped her eight times over two months.

On Nov 19, 2014, he forced his way into the locked common toilet while she was changing and raped her, she said.

The last time he raped her was on the night of Jan 9, 2015. The assault took place in her bedroom, she added, while her mother was out playing mahjong and her two younger siblings were playing games in the master bedroom.

Read the full story on The Straits Times.