A 69-year-old man received a 20-year jail sentence on 3 Nov 2025 for raping and sexually assaulting his step-granddaughter. The girl was nine to 10 years old at the time.
He pleaded guilty at the High Court to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault by penetration. Both victims were minors. Another 12 charges were considered during sentencing.
What Happened
The attacks took place from 2016 to 2017. The man assaulted the girl on at least nine occasions.
The victim had lived with her grandmother since birth. She’d never met her mother. Her father had been in prison since 2010 and played no role in raising her.
The offender married the victim’s grandmother in 1996. They divorced in 2000, then remarried in 2008. When he moved back into the flat, all three slept in one room. The girl slept on the floor while the adults shared the bed.
Between March and October 2016, the man invited friends over for drinks. After they left and his wife went out, he molested the girl and forced a sex act on her. She felt disgusted.
Between January and June 2017, the man had friends over for alcohol again. After they left, he raped the victim. The girl started crying. He made a lewd comment, then told her to clean herself up.
The man and the victim’s grandmother divorced in December 2019. He moved out.
How It Came to Light
The abuse stayed hidden until July 2020. The victim was referred to her school counsellor for cutting herself. On 27 Jul 2020, she told the counsellor about the sexual abuse.
The school reported this to Child Protective Services. They informed the victim’s grandmother about the allegation. On 31 Aug 2020, school staff and a Child Protective Service officer went to the girl’s home to tell her grandmother.
The victim filed a police report that night. The offender was arrested on 2 Sep 2020. He’s been in remand since.
The Victim’s Struggles
The victim was seen at the Child Guidance Clinic at the Institute of Mental Health. She reported persistent thoughts about the sexual acts and had passive suicidal wishes.
She’d been cutting herself since Primary 5. She did it when she felt stressed about what the offender did to her. She also worried about her grandmother’s well-being.
A clinical psychologist assessed her. The girl showed trauma symptoms that met the clinical criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. This stemmed from all her trauma experiences, but especially the sexual abuse.
Her symptoms included persistent intrusive memories and images of the traumatic experiences. She avoided thoughts and feelings related to the trauma. She experienced strong emotional and physical distress when reminded of the incidents or when sharing about them. She also had hypervigilance, inappropriate self-blame, concentration problems, and sleep difficulties.
The victim showed some depression symptoms. These included low mood, loneliness, reduced appetite, and negative views of her self-worth. However, these didn’t meet clinical criteria for mood disorders.
The girl also had a history of self-harm and suicidal thoughts. These were triggered by unintended consequences from disclosing the abuse. She was removed from her grandmother’s care. She had thoughts of not being “good enough” for her family.
The Sentencing
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Jing Min asked for 18 to 20 years in jail. She said no extra jail time should replace caning. She said the sentence would reflect the seriousness of the offences.
In mitigation, the man said he regretted his actions. He asked for forgiveness. He said this was his first time. He mentioned having his own family in Malaysia and two daughters from his first marriage. He asked for leniency, saying he wanted to “be old” with his family.
Justice Aidan Xu called the acts “wicked.” He said the offender had used the victim’s body to satisfy his lust. While the offender wasn’t blood-related to the girl, he was a family member by marriage. He was supposed to care for her and nurture her, the judge said.
The judge said little leniency could be shown. The offences were too grave. The harm caused to the victim was too great. He noted that the offender might die in jail. This was the consequence of his offences.
For raping a minor, an offender faces eight to 20 years in jail and at least 12 strokes of the cane. This offender couldn’t be caned because he was above 50.
The man cannot be named due to a gag order protecting the victim’s identity. She is now 18 years old.
