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SINGAPORE – A 29-year-old man who forced his wife to prostitute herself to pay for their baby son’s diapers and milk powder, and sexually abused his daughter and niece failed in his appeal on Thursday (July 16) for a lighter sentence.
The man, who is unemployed, was sentenced to 25½ years’ jail and 24 strokes of the cane last year by the High Court.
On Thursday, his lawyer, Mr Mohammad Shafiq Haja Maideen, criticised the judge, who had described the man’s acts as “monstrous” in his written judgment.
The lawyer argued that the judge was wrong to have allowed his own disgust over the man’s actions to influence his judgment on the appropriate sentence.
Mr Shafiq, who sought a sentence of 18 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane, also argued that the offender had sexually assaulted his six-year-old daughter only once.
These arguments were rejected by a three-judge Court of Appeal, which said the sentence was not manifestly excessive.
Delivering the apex court’s decision, Judge of Appeal Judith Prakash said the criticism of the High Court judge was unwarranted and that his description was “reflective of the general societal view”.
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