SINGAPORE – A 52-year-old cleaner, who sexually abused his youngest daughter repeatedly when she was between six and eight years old, was sentenced to 18½ years in jail on Monday (March 23).

The man, a repeat drug offender, pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual assault by penetration of a minor, drug consumption and possession of obscene and uncertified films.

Another eight charges, all for sexual offences, were taken into consideration.

His jail sentence includes a six-month term in lieu of 15 strokes of the cane as he cannot be caned on account of his age. He was also fined $700 for possession of uncertified films.

Since 1989, the man has undergone multiple stints of drug rehabilitation and supervision. He was also convicted in 2004 of having sex with a minor.

In 2015, he began sexually assaulting the youngest of his three daughters, usually when the two older girls were asleep at night. She was six years old at the time.

The victim and her two older sisters, then aged eight and 10, lived with their father in a two-room flat.

Their mother worked as a prostitute and did not live with them. She was eventually arrested for prostitution activities and repatriated to Indonesia in 2017.

The court heard that the victim was disgusted by her father’s acts and upset with him for violating her as he was her primary caregiver.

However, she did not tell anyone as she feared that no one would believe her, or that people might shun her. She was also afraid that her father would beat her.

The abuse continued until the victim turned eight.

The victim decided to confide in her sister about the sexual abuse after the older girl told her about a classmate who had been sexually assaulted by a neighbour.

Her sister advised her to tell a teacher and on July 24, 2018, she lodged a report against her father, who was arrested on the same day.

The victim underwent a medical examination and was treated for a genital infection.

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