Man jailed for incest with teenage daughter who later gave birth
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 21 March, 2015, 3:11am
UPDATED : Saturday, 21 March, 2015, 3:11am
Thomas Chan [email protected]
The 55-year-old defendant had tried to make the 17-year-old girl go to the mainland for an abortion. She later gave birth to a baby girl. Photo: Dickson Lee
A father who made his teenage daughter pregnant was branded a "shameless coward" by a judge yesterday as he was jailed for incest.
The 55-year-old defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had tried to make the 17-year-old girl go to the mainland for an abortion. She later gave birth to a baby girl.
He was sentenced to six years and eight months in jail.
High Court Judge Madam Justice Esther Toh Lye-ping said: "The defendant is a totally shameless coward to prey on his own daughter," Toh said. "This is a case where instead of protecting his daughter, he violated her and breached the trust between father and daughter."
The judge said had he pleaded not guilty and been convicted, she was would have sentenced him to 10 years - but she had to reduce his jail term by one third after he pleaded guilty to one count of incest.
Toh urged lawmakers to consider reviewing the maximum penalty of 14 years for incest to allow more severe punishment and said her hands were tied by case precedents and legislation.
The court heard that on October 21, 2013, the man had sexual intercourse with his then 17-year-old daughter, identified as X, who later gave birth. DNA tests proved the man was the biological father of both X and her daughter.
"He selfishly suggested her go to China to have an abortion," Toh said.
Summarising the case, she said that since Form One, X would occasionally wake up to find her underwear had been removed and pyjamas unbuttoned, and an unidentified secretion on her underwear.
The judge added that X's coping strategy was to try to stay awake and wear tight clothes.
Toh said: "The defendant will go to jail and regain freedom when he is released. But one would wonder when X could be released from her prison of psychological distress the defendant so cowardly and single-handedly brought on her."
She urged X to undergo psychological treatment.
The court also heard that the victim had no interest in relationships with men.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Mahinder Panesar said the case had badly damaged the man's family, with his mentally disabled sister later committing suicide.
However, Toh said the repercussions had been brought on by the defendant single-handedly.
