Man Jailed for Raping 13-Year-Old Niece
The 38-year-old man was sentenced to 21 years in jail and 16 strokes of the cane.
He pleaded guilty to six charges, including statutory rape and sexual assault.
The man was close to his brother, the victim's father.
At the time, the man was in a relationship with a woman he later married.
He lived with his grandmother until she died, then got his own home.
The victim and her uncle only met at family gatherings until she was 13.
The man took the victim out to celebrate her 13th birthday and she rode on his motorcycle.
She enjoyed it and wanted to do it again, so he took her out for supper.
The girl told her uncle about her ex-boyfriend and he took her out again.
The pair grew closer, and the girl visited her uncle after school.
The man molested the girl and asked if her ex-boyfriend did the same.
The pair considered themselves a couple, exchanging romantic messages and kissing.
The man molested the girl on a family trip to Malaysia.
The girl slept over at her uncle's place during school holidays.
The man tried to rape the girl but couldn't, then did it the next morning.
The pair had sex about four times a week at the man's home.
The man took the girl out to eat and shop, but avoided intimacy in public.
The victim went on a staycation with her uncle and they had sex at a hotel.
The pair continued seeing each other in 2024, with the teenager visiting her uncle after school.
The man joked about committing incest with the girl.
The teenager got to know a schoolmate and started a romantic relationship.
The man found out about the relationship and was dismayed.
The man urged the girl to end her relationship with the boy.
The man had sex with the girl as a form of punishment for her interactions with the boy.
The man told the girl she had made a mistake and needed to repay him.
The girl gave in to her uncle's demands to avoid breaking up with the boy.
The man continued to exploit the girl despite her experiencing pain.
The pair had another staycation at a hotel and had sex.
The man discovered the girl's TikTok account linked to the boy.
The man scolded the girl for not putting effort into their relationship.
The man told the girl to break up with the boy, which made her cry.
The man diverted to a mall to calm the girl down but shouted at her.
The man said he would control the girl's life while she was in university.
The girl got out of the vehicle and cried, and the man kept texting her.
The man threatened to leak the girl's nude photos and videos.
The man threatened to publish the photos on a pornographic website.
The girl agreed to cut contact with the boy to pacify her uncle.
The girl told the boy what had happened, and he said her uncle's behaviour was wrong.
The girl tried to end her relationship with her uncle several times.
The girl informed her teacher about her relationship with her uncle.
The matter was escalated to the Child Protection Services.
The man went to the girl's school to wait for her but sensed something was wrong.
The man was arrested the next day.
The prosecutors sought 19-and-a-half to 21 years' jail and at least 16 strokes of the cane.
The prosecutor said the man had kept up a facade of being a caring uncle.
The man robbed the girl of her innocence and habituated her to illicit sex.
The man abused his position of authority and his brother's trust.
The man manipulated the girl emotionally and refused to let her end the relationship.
The prosecutor said the man was cruel to the girl and she caved into his demands.
The defence lawyer sought 16 years' jail and 16 strokes of the cane.
The lawyer urged the court to consider the man's remorse.
The lawyer pointed out that the man had admitted to everything and apologised.
The lawyer said the man's remorse was reflected in a letter from the girl's parents.
The lawyer added that the man apologised in person to his brother.
The lawyer said the most important mitigating factor was that the man didn't make the girl testify.
The judge questioned if this was already accommodated for in the sentencing discount.
The lawyer acknowledged this, and the judge did not give extra credit for the remorse.
The man could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned for each charge.