Man on trial for raping his daughter twice in one night

SINGAPORE: A 52-year-old man stood trial on Tuesday (Sep 17) for raping his daughter twice in their flat three years ago.

He is accused of raping and sexually assaulting his 23-year-old daughter in the early hours of Mar 27, 2016, after drinking alcohol together.

In the assault, he allegedly strangled her, punched her on her head and threatened her with a penknife while forcing her into submission.

Both parties cannot be named due to gag orders issued by the court.

The man faces nine charges including two counts of aggravated rape, one count of aggravated sexual assault by penetration as well as charges of criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt.

According to the prosecution's opening address, the victim lived in the flat with her parents, who were divorced. Her father was 48 then and had just started his job as a forklift driver at a logistics company.

At the time of the offence, her mother had gone to stay with her son in his home and the victim was home alone with her dad.

ASSAULT TOOK PLACE AFTER THEY HAD DRINKS TOGETHER

In the wee hours of Mar 27, 2016, the pair were drinking alcohol and talking when the victim fell asleep.

She woke up when she felt someone molesting her over her shorts, and opened her eyes to see her father completely naked and touching her, said Deputy Public Prosecutors Ng Yiwen, Kavita Uthrapathy and Sarah Siaw.

Her father purportedly placed a penknife with its blade extended on the victim's neck and said: "Don't shout, I'll slash you."

He then raped his daughter twice and forced her to perform a sex act on him, among other forms of sexual abuse, said the prosecutors.

He is also accused of threatening his daughter with the penknife, telling her "take out your clothings, otherwise I will use the knife to cut you till you die", and forcing her into a sex act by saying "you want to do now or I will cut your throat".

The young woman tried wresting the penknife away from her dad, but he punched her and strangled her into compliance, the prosecution claimed.

"The victim was made to suffer indignities, humiliation and pain at the hands of the man that she loved ... as the accused committed the acts in the charges, callously ignoring her pleas to let her go," they added.

Later that morning, the victim coaxed her father into returning her handphone to her and leaving her alone in the flat, before calling for help.

She made a police report and her father was arrested that night.

VICTIM DIAGNOSED WITH PTSD

She went to the hospital where a doctor found a laceration at her neck under her hairline. An analyst with the Health Sciences Authority found that the accused's DNA matched the secretion on his daughter's shorts.

The victim, who is now 27, was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder with co-morbid depressive symptoms at the Institute of Mental Health.

The prosecution will be calling 28 witnesses to prove the charges. It will also present closed-circuit television and police camera footage from the lifts, ground floor lobby area at the flat and the walkway which show the victim "to be in a state of distress after the sexual assaults".

The court will also hear how the man made 36 phone calls to his daughter on her phone after she left the flat, and sent her several messages including one saying he was sorry, the prosecution said.

Tuesday's hearing was heard in-camera. The trial continues tomorrow.

The penalty for aggravated rape is a jail term of between eight and 20 years and at least 12 strokes of the cane. However, as the man is above 50, he cannot be caned.