Man, 71, Sentenced to Jail for Molesting Daughter Over 20 Years Ago

A 71-year-old man in Singapore was given a 16-month jail sentence for molesting his daughter more than 20 years ago.

The man's name is not given to protect his daughter, who is now 32 years old. He fought against two charges of molestation but was found guilty of hurting his daughter's modesty twice.

The man's lawyers asked for mercy because he has many health problems and uses a wheelchair.

However, the judge noted that the man abused his daughter's trust, and she was very vulnerable. The judge also said the daughter suffered psychological harm.

The judge said that the prison has a good healthcare system and that the man needs to be punished to show that such actions are not acceptable.

The man was found guilty last July of molesting his daughter twice between 1999 and 2001.

The daughter said her father molested her when she was unwell and sleeping on the couch.

He also molested her in the living room another time when her mother saw what was happening and told him to stop.

No one else saw these acts happen. The mother denied they happened, and the daughter said at the trial that her father molested her many times, about 50 to 100 times.

The daughter told two boyfriends about the molestation and finally moved out in 2015 after a family trip when she found it hard to be around her father.

The daughter studied abroad and later came back to Singapore, where she made a police report as an adult.

She explained at the trial that she did not want to believe her father was molesting her at the time, and later did not want others to know because she felt ashamed.

Even when she grew up and knew she was abused, she did not want others to find out because it was very shameful for her.

The prosecution said the delay in the daughter reporting the incidents should not make her story less believable.

The defence lawyer said the daughter told her mother about the abuse to get money to move out, and she connected many bad things in her life to the alleged abuse.

The lawyer also said the daughter had a history of being in the hospital due to stress from her studies or relationships.

The judge noted that the molestation involved skin contact and the daughter was very young and the man's biological daughter.

The judge said the man had no prior convictions but did not plead guilty, so he did not get a lighter sentence.

The judge considered the man's health problems but said the prison can provide medical care if needed.

The man can also get dialysis treatment while in jail.

The judge said there was nothing special about the man's case to warrant mercy but considered his poor health when deciding the sentence.

The man plans to appeal his conviction and sentence.

For each charge of molestation, he could have been jailed for up to two years or fined, or both, but he cannot be caned because he is over 50 years old.

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