Man, 56, jailed 4.5 years for incest with adult daughter after release from prison
SINGAPORE — A 56-year-old man was jailed for four-and-a-half years after he pleaded guilty to a charge of incest on Monday (21 June).
The man also pleaded guilty to one count of attempted incest with his daughter, who is 32 years old and had lived alone during the time of the offences.
As the man committed the fresh offences when he was on remission for previous drug offences, he will have to serve an additional 592 days' of jail.
None of the parties can be named due to a gag order protecting the daughter’s identity. Yahoo News Singapore understands that no action has been taken against the daughter.
The court heard that the man had initially faced a rape charge, but this had been amended.
Offences came to light after daughter's health problems
After his release from prison for drug offences on 14 May 2019, the man stayed over at his daughter’s flat. His daughter slept in a bedroom while he slept in living room.
On 17 May, he lay on top of her in bed, and had sexual intercourse with her.
Then on 20 October, the father and daughter were alone in the flat and watching videos on the latter’s bed at night, when the man attempted to have sex again. However, this time he was unable to do so.
The offences came to light when the woman was admitted to the National University Hospital for health problems on 13 November that year. She confided in a medical social worker her fear of staying at home with her father and about the sexual encounters. A police report was lodged subsequently.
The prosecution sought three years’ jail for the incest charge and one-and-a-half years’ jail for the attempted incest charge.
Woman 'not vulnerable': DPP
Asked about the aggravating factors of this case by District Judge Janet Wang, Deputy Public Prosecutor Zhou Yihong cited two cases where the victims were young or had borderline intelligence. She said that the woman in this case was not vulnerable in the same manner.
There was also nothing to suggest that the man had lured his daughter into the sexual acts.
In mitigation, the man said through an interpreter, "Currently I am wearing a stripped shirt, so I am applying for stripes to be removed. Aside from that, I am also asking for a lighter sentence."
When asked by DJ Wang what he meant, the man added, "I heard from friend in jail that if I am wearing a striped shirt, then I am going to be sitting for a very long time in prison. I'm facing a long sentence so I feel scared and uneasy, and I want these stripes to be removed."
DJ Wang replied, "Your attire is decided by prisons, the court has nothing to do with if you are dressed in a striped shirt or otherwise."
In sentencing the man, DJ Wang said, "While the victim is not young or vulnerable, the age difference between you and (your) daughter was more than 20 years.
"What is relevant is that both offences were committed within the home, which is meant to be a sanctuary for families.
"To your credit, the court noted your timely plea of guilt as well as the fact that you were not traced with antecedents of a similar nature."
For incest, the man could have been jailed up to five years.
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