SINGAPORE – A man returned home drunk one morning and raped his stepdaughter, but the girl, who has intellectual disabilities, did not understand what he was doing to her.
The rape in 2024 came to light several months later when the girl, who was then 14 years old, was found to be pregnant.
On Feb 23, the 48-year-old man was sentenced to 19 years and four months’ jail as well as 16 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to a charge of rape.
The court has imposed a gag order on the identities of the victim and the man.
In sentencing, High Court judge Audrey Lim noted that the victim is especially vulnerable due to her age and intellectual disability.
The girl was assessed to have an IQ of 42. The normal range of intelligence is between 90 and 110.
Justice Lim also considered the severe harm caused to the victim, who was impregnated and carried a child to term. The child is now with a foster family.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sruthi Boppana had sought a sentence of between 19 and 22 years’ jail and 18 strokes of the cane, saying: “The consequences extend far beyond the immediate harm to the victim, encompassing the destruction of family relationships, the creation of complex circumstances surrounding the child born of the offence, and lasting psychological damage that will endure long after these proceedings conclude.”
The victim was first observed to have developmental delays when she was four years old. She was diagnosed with intellectual disabilities in 2024.
