Reform training for the second youngest of four brothers who sexually abused their sister

SINGAPORE – The second youngest of four brothers accused of sexually abusing their sister was sentenced to at least 12 months in a reformatory on Wednesday (June 26).

On February 5, he pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated sexual assault; seven other counts were taken into account in determining the sentence.

Correctional support is a comprehensive rehabilitation program in the closed and structured environment of a reformatory.

It is typically offered to young offenders between the ages of 14 and 21 if they are deemed suitable.

After serving the twelve-month prison sentence and completing the required rehabilitation programs, the offender is reviewed by a committee to determine his suitability for release on parole.

The 20-year-old man, who was 16 or 17 when he sexually abused his sister, is not allowed to give his name because the court imposed a news gag order to protect the victim’s identity.

The perpetrator’s other brothers are now 23, 22 and 18 years old.

The four were between 13 and 21 years old when they committed the alleged crimes against their sister between 2018 and 2022.

The victim, now 14 years old, is the oldest of three sisters. At the time of the crime, she was between 10 and 11 years old and was in the 5th grade.

All seven children lived with their parents in the family house, which had three bedrooms.

The boys shared a bedroom, referred to in court documents as the “boys’ room,” while the girls shared the “girls’ room.”

The children’s parents stipulated that the boys were not allowed to enter the girls’ restroom unless they wanted to comb their hair in front of the mirror there.

The reason for this rule was that the three girls were still small, but the four boys were already grown up. Whenever the children’s mother saw one of her sons in the girls’ room, she warned them not to stay inside.

However, the perpetrator went into the girls’ bathroom to rest and play. This is where the sexual assaults took place.

WHAT HAPPENED

The perpetrator was the last of the four defendants to sexually abuse his sister.

According to court documents, his other brothers had already sexually abused the girl at least once at the time of his indictment.

Although the perpetrator knew that his two older brothers had sexually abused his sister, he decided to “remain silent.”

In 2020, the perpetrator decided to sexually abuse the victim to “satisfy his sexual urges” and harassed her whenever he felt like it.

This happened no less than four times this year in the girls’ restroom, even though he knew that the girl did not consent to the sexual acts and would try to resist him.

Once in 2020, the perpetrator entered the girls’ restroom after having sexually abused her on previous occasions that same year.

At this point he was alone with the victim.

The perpetrator lay down next to her as she lay on the bed and sexually abused her. The girl told him not to touch her and tried to get out of his way.

However, when her brother persisted, “the girl did not resist further because she already knew what was going to happen and was afraid,” court documents say.

On February 10, 2022, the victim finally found the courage to inform her school about the sexual abuse.

The Ministry of Social and Family Development was alerted and a report was filed with the police on the same day.

One day later, the perpetrator was arrested.

When first confronted by police, he denied the sexual assault, but later admitted to doing so on at least two occasions.

Victim blamed himself

During the years of abuse, the victim did not dare to tell anyone about the incidents.

The court heard that she had only pretended to be happy by putting on a fake smile, even though she was stressed and sad.

After reporting the incident, the victim felt scared and guilty and blamed herself for not stopping her brothers when the abuse happened.

She was examined by a psychiatrist at the Child Guidance Clinic in May 2022 and said she has been sad, confused, nervous, scared and angry since the abuse and keeps thinking about it.

The psychiatrist said in a report that the victim would benefit from a safe, supportive environment and counseling.

The victim was also examined at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital for sexual assault.

The report found that she had probably had her first period at age 10, was not sexually active other than the assault, and did not have any sexually transmitted diseases.

At the hearing in February, deputy public prosecutors Muhamad Imaduddien, Lim Ying Min and M Kayal Pillay called for eight to nine years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane for the perpetrator.

However, defense attorney Ashvin Hariharan requested that IRB Law prepare an expert opinion on the suitability of a reformatory motion for his client.

In sentencing on Wednesday, Judge Hoo Sheau Peng said the defendant was not a “hardened” offender and had not engaged in any further sexual assaults and had stopped such behaviour after the incidents in 2020.

Judge Hoo added that the offender had already been in custody for over two years, which was a sufficient deterrent.

DPP Lim informed the court that the prosecution would appeal the verdict.

The perpetrator is the third brother to be brought to trial.

On May 20, the eldest of the brothers was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 24 lashes.

Two days later, the second eldest brother was sentenced to 18 years in prison and 24 lashes.

The remaining brother’s case is still pending.