SINGAPORE: Two pre-teen sisters were separately molested by their uncle at his home and each later found out what he had done to the other.
The man had also sent inappropriate messages to the younger girl, such as “Just now driving kept thinking of you”, “I like your hair smell”, and “Think you be my gf better”.
The older sister was 10 to 11 years old when she was assaulted from 2018 to 2019, while the younger sister was eight to nine years old when she was abused in 2018.
Their parents made a police report in 2021 upon the advice of the older girl’s school, where a teacher had observed that she had behavioural issues.
On April 23, the 51-year-old man, who has three daughters, pleaded guilty to three charges for outraging the modesty of a minor under the age of 14.
He cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the identities of the victims.
Four other similar charges will be taken into consideration when he is sentenced. The case was adjourned to June 30.
The man’s wife and the victims’ mother are sisters.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wong Shiau Yin told the High Court that their families were close.
The two families met regularly to celebrate special occasions and had gone on holidays together.
The two victims were close to two of their cousins and sometimes slept over at their place.
The man first assaulted the older sister between November and December 2018, after she went over to his place on her own to borrow her cousin’s laptop.
As she was lying on the bed in the master bedroom using the man’s mobile phone, he went on top of her and molested her. The victim did not understand what he was doing at the time.
On another day, she was on the bed when he kissed her and touched her inappropriately under her clothes.
DPP Wong said the victim felt scared and afraid, and started tearing up during this incident.
The younger sister was first sexually assaulted between January and June 2018.
She was alone in the master bedroom watching YouTube on a mobile phone when the man pushed her down onto the bed and kissed her.
In September 2018, he sent her various text messages via Facebook messenger.
The inappropriate messages came to the attention of the girl’s mother, who confronted her sister.
In December 2019, during a sleepover at the man’s home, the older girl told her younger sister and two cousins about the acts that the man had carried out on her.
The younger sister then revealed that the man had also kissed her.
Despite worries that the relationship between the two families would fall apart, the older girl decided to tell their parents, while her sister confirmed what she said.
The girl’s parents were enraged and confronted the man, but he denied the allegations.
In 2021, when the older sister was in Secondary 1, her form teacher noticed that she had behavioural issues and spoke to her.
When the girl disclosed that her uncle had touched her inappropriately, the teacher informed the school counsellor and the vice-principal.
School staff advised the girl’s parents on Aug 24, 2021, to lodge a police report. The girl’s mother did so two days later.
During sessions with the school counsellor, the girl revealed that she had suicidal thoughts and nightmares following the abuse.
The counsellor observed that she had a few episodes of meltdown when she recalled the assaults or saw a male teacher resembling her uncle.
The older girl was also treated at the National University Hospital from 2022 to 2024 after she tried to take her own life via drug overdose.
She was diagnosed with mixed depression anxiety, eating disorder and borderline disorder personality traits. - The Straits Times/ANN
