Father on trial for raping 12-year-old daughter, sexually abusing her since she was 4

SINGAPORE — Over about eight years, a man allegedly groomed his daughter sexually before raping her when she was 12.

The 36-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect his daughter’s identity, claimed trial on Tuesday (Nov 8) to 13 charges including rape, aggravated sexual assault by penetration and showing pornography to his daughter.

The case is handled by Deputy Public Prosecutors David Khoo, Angela Ang and Tay Jia En. The prosecution called it a case of "persistent and perverse sexual abuse at the hands of her biological father, from the time she was in kindergarten until the age of 12".

"This young victim, who is now estranged from her family, now boldly testifies in person before this court three years after the police report was made, so that truth will be unravelled," the prosecutors said.

They also said that the man "systematically groomed and sexualised the victim from a tender young age".

THE PROSECUTION'S CASE

When the girl was in kindergarten sometime in 2012 or 2013, she was in the toilet bathing with her father and her younger brother, the prosecutors said in their opening address. The accused allegedly asked the girl to commit an indecent act on him after pouring a drink over himself.

The prosecution also said that the man introduced his daughter to pornography when she was in Primary 3 or Primary 4.

When his daughter approached puberty in 2018 or 2019, the man began sexually assaulting her.

The charges showed that the assaults occurred under a study table in the master bedroom, in a storeroom, in the family car, in a dining area, at a staircase, on an upper bunk bed and in the master bedroom.

In August 2019, he allegedly raped his daughter in the master bedroom when she was 12. About a month later, when she was supposed to be studying for her Primary School Leaving Examination, the man sexually assaulted the girl, the prosecutors alleged.

The man is said to have convinced his daughter that she would get into trouble if she tried to tell others what happened. He told her never to tell anyone about the acts, especially her mother.

The girl began engaging in self-harm, with one of her teachers set to testify that she had observed cuts on the victim's wrist on Sept 3, 2019.

The girl confided in her closest friends and schoolmates in 2019, when she was in Primary 6, the prosecution said. One of them told her mother, who alerted the school. Some of the girl's friends are witnesses in the trial.

From end-August to September 2019, the girl contemplated running away from home because of the sexual abuse.

The prosecution will lead evidence from 46 witnesses, including the victim's form teacher, school counsellor and principal.

The girl, who is now 15, was the first to take the stand. Since she is a minor, the court put in place shielding measures so that she would not have to see the accused. Her testimony was heard in private, and reporters were not allowed in the court.

The man is defended by lawyers Ramesh Tiwary, Josephus Tan and Cory Wong.

The trial is set to continue for the rest of the week, with the victim expected to be on the stand for most of it. CNA