26 years, 24 strokes for rape

UNDER the pretext of teaching her about sex so she would not be cheated by men in the future, an operations supervisor had sex with his girlfriend's daughter and gave her a sexually transmitted disease.

Only after the victim, then aged 14, attended sex education classes last year and found out about sex, masturbation and condoms, did she realise that what he did to her was wrong.

She told her mother and on Tuesday, the 43-year-old man was sentenced to a total of 26 years in jail and 24 strokes of the cane in the High Court.

He had pleaded guilty to raping her on four occasions. Seven other similar offences were taken into consideration by Justice Steven Chong.

The man cannot be named to protect the victim's identity.

The court heard that the bachelor was in a relationship with the girl's mother. The 37-year-old divorcee then moved into his flat with her daughter and son in 2005.

As she was afraid of the dark, she would sleep with the man and her mother. Sometime after she turned 12 in 2007, he touched her private parts as she lay between him and her mother.

When they were both alone in the flat some months later, he tried to have sex with the primary six student but stopped when she complained of pain.

She told police she did not tell anyone then because she did not know what he did was wrong. The next time in the same year, he went all the way wearing a condom.

Source: ST Online

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How the ugly secret was exposed

In late 2008, the mother moved to a rented flat in Boon Lay to be closer to her new office in Jurong. She did not visit the man and their relationship ended. She continued to trust him and the girl stayed on in his flat as it was nearer to her school, only joining her mother on weekends and during the school holidays.

In August last year, the daughter also moved to Boon Lay but would return to his flat to use his computer or collect her belongings. On one such occasion, he had sex with her. She was then aged 14.

On her return from his flat on Oct 5 last year, her mother questioned her and the ugly secret was revealed.

Confronted by the woman the next day, the man confessed and surrendered to the police.