Man admits to raping cousin, eight, 14
years ago
By ELANA
CHONG
COURT CORRESPONDENT
HE WAS 17 when he raped
his eight-year-old cousin on three occasions at a staircase landing
of a Housing Board block 14 years ago.
The girl kept quiet about it for more than a
decade, and in 2011, she finally decided to make a police report
against him.
Yesterday, the long arm of the law caught up with
the former deliveryman, now 31, who admitted to one charge of
raping the girl.
The offence carries a penalty of up to 20 years'
jail and a fine or caning. Both parties cannot be named due to a
gag order.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Dillon Kok said the
victim was seven when she went in 1998 to live with the accused,
her aunt and uncle because her parents were going through a
divorce.
In 1999, the accused was waiting to be called up
for national service when he became addicted to pornographic
VCDs.
On one occasion, he and the girl went to buy food
from a nearby store in mid-1999.
They were in a lift on their way home when the
accused recalled sex scenes he had seen and wanted to try having
sex.
He took her to the staircase landing but dropped
the idea after a passer-by walked past.
About a week later, he again took her to the
staircase landing, where he raped her. He warned her not to tell
anyone. He raped her on two other occasions the same year.
The accused will be sentenced next Wednesday, with
the two other charges of rape taken into consideration.
The girl is one of the youngest rape victims
here.
Three years ago, a 42-year-old man was jailed for
11 years and given 16 strokes of the cane for raping his daughter
in 2005 when she was seven.
In 2008, a 41-year-old man was given 17 years' jail
and 14 strokes of the cane for raping his three-year-old
daughter.
Mr Kok argued for a jail term of at least six years
and caning.
He highlighted the victim's young age at the time,
and how the accused had abused his position of trust and authority
and acted audaciously.
The victim had lost her chastity to an act of rape
and coped by "choosing to ignore that it happened", Mr Kok told the
court.
Even though the crime took place 14 years ago, he
said "the passage of time does not diminish the seriousness of the
offence".
Top of the news, The Straits Times, Wednesday, 22 January 2014, Pg
A3
