28 years' jail, 24 strokes of the cane for man who raped stepdaughter
A cleaning supervisor, who started raping his stepdaughter when she was eight and sexually exploited her for the next five years, was sentenced to 28 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane yesterday.
The offences, described by a prosecutor as "utterly sickening", came to light in March 2015 after the girl, then 12, fled when the man left their flat to throw away a used condom.
The man initially denied the allegations, digging up her Facebook posts to show she was "not a good girl".
He later admitted having sex with her but blamed her for "seducing" him by exposing herself while she was asleep.
The 39-year-old cannot be named to protect the identity of the girl, who is now 15 and lives with her maternal grandmother.
Her mother has three other daughters - two with the man and one from another relationship. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Yiwen sought at least 32 years' jail, arguing the man had "wickedly violated" the trust the victim had in him.
The DPP also said the man showed no remorse, pointing to his audacity in blaming her.
Justice Woo Bih Li agreed the man's conduct did not reflect remorse but said he would give him "a bit of discount" for pleading guilty, avoiding the trauma the girl would face if she had to testify in a trial. - SELINA LUM
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