From Kitchen Windows to Legal Cycles: How One Teenager’s Past Shapes Her Present
Yesterday’s headline dealt with a story that’s as chilling as a horror movie—except this one hasn’t gotten a “funny” rating. When a 17‑year‑old girl, who was just nine or ten back in Primary 4, accidentally found herself in the wrong room with a family friend, her entire life took a sharp turn.
The Unsettling Start
- Family friend (now 60) claimed guilt for two main charges: sexual assault by penetration and outrage of modesty, both committed in 2015.
- Added five other similar charges were part of the sentencing picture.
- He was sentenced to 11 years in jail—a drop‑in comparison with the 10‑12 years the prosecution had in mind.
The Girl’s Growing Up With the Compound
Her parents had broken up, but she stuck around her dad and his grandmother. In January 2015, the grandma opened their three‑room flat to the accused’s daughter—she moved in fresh and had no idea what lurked behind the sofa.
From that same month until March 2016, the guy would pop over on weekends, sitting on the sofa with the girl while everyone else was away. He’d then get the opportunity to attack her privately—a nightmare in small living‑room frames.
That One Bad Day
- The girl was staring out of the kitchen window when the man whispered and slapped her that night.
- Desperate, she locked herself in her bedroom, cried, and began to suffer panic attacks.
- When she opened the door hoping for her grandma’s welcome, she found him—hanging on to her like a horror‑film villain.
- Despite his hug and kiss, she fled to the bathroom, scrubbed his saliva from her face, and stuffed toilet paper face‑up in her mouth (the bravesty of youth!).
- She slammed the door until grandma’s voice, after which she screamed until her grandma told her to retreat to her room and calm down.
- Later, she told grandma, “I don’t want him or his daughter in the flat.” The daughter soon left in early 2016.
Why the Crime Went Unnoticed Until 2018
She remained silent until a Secondary 1 sex‑education class raised a “sexual abuse” topic that made her break down. She later confided to her form teacher and a school counsellor that the awful incident happened in Primary 4.
Judicial Journey & Therapy Talks
Over 31 visits to the KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital’s psychosocial trauma service, she was diagnosed with post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This did more than just haunt her nights—it sneaked into her daily school life.
“Her intrusive thoughts left her blabbering every time a class touched on the topic of human reproduction,” a teacher explained. “Even a clean joke about the toilet can trigger a full‑on break‑down.”
Because of that, the school had to skip science classes when human reproduction was in the syllabus and give her a modified exam that avoided putting her over that sensitive trigger.
Defense vs. Prosecution: The Numbers Game
- Deputy Public Prosecutor Jane Lim wanted a 10‑12 year jail term, saying, “The guy left permanent scars on her mind.”
- The defense counsel Gino Hardial Singh pushed for the same length, citing his client’s third‑stage colon cancer as a mitigating factor.
Final Verdict
The final decision was 11 years behind bars, a punishment that matched the severity of the assault yet kept in mind the boy’s missing health updates. In the meantime, the young woman continues to battle PTSD—an emotional voyage that’s ongoing and ever‑tightening the extreme relations of law and conscience.
