According to a media release, a 31-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years and 5 months jail with 6 strokes of the cane for raping a young girl who was under his care at a children’s home.
The man was charged with one count of statutory rape and one count of obstruction of justices.
According to the court document, the victim has been staying at the children’s home since the age of 4. She was placed in the children’s home for her safety due to the history of domestic violence in her family.
The man was 27 years old when he first met the victim in 2016. The victim was 11 years old when she was put under the man’s care. The victim became close to the man after she felt that he was the only person who cares about her.
In 2017, the man left the job and soon entered into a relationship with the victim in Mar 2018 where he started raping her. They usually had unprotected sex at least once a month in the handicap toilet or in the man’s father’s car.
On 24 May 2019, the pair were spotted by one of the home’s employees behaving intimately at a nearby bus stop. After a confrontation, the man admitted to having sex with the victim. The man was later taken to the police station where he surrendered himself.
While the man was in the police station, he texted the victim and instructed her to delete all their messages. He then taught her what to say when she was questioned by the police. The victim followed as instructed but more details were revealed after rounds of police interviews.
According to the law, for his crime, the man could face a jail term up to 20 years and fined or caned. For obstructing justice, the man could be jailed for up to 7 years fined or both.