In a shocking and heart-wrenching case, a five-year-old girl and her younger brother were subjected to unimaginable abuse, confined to the bathroom of a cramped one-room flat for nearly a year. The children were naked and only allowed out for meals or if their father or stepmother needed to use the toilet.
Tragically, in August 2017, the young girl lost her life after being assaulted by her own father. Now, the 43-year-old father is facing a murder charge as his trial commenced in the High Court on Wednesday, July 5.
As per the reports, the father, whose identity is protected by a court-ordered gag order, faces a single charge of murder, carrying a possible sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty. The court heard distressing details of the girl’s lifeless body being taken to the hospital, covered from head to toe in bruises, wounds, scars, and severe malnourishment.
Complete Account of the Tragic Incident
According to the prosecution’s opening statement presented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Han Ming Kuang, the victim resided in the one-room flat with her father, stepmother, biological younger brother, and two half-siblings. It was revealed that the girl and her brother had previously been placed in foster care by Child Protection Services in 2014 but were later returned to live with their father and stepmother in 2015.
Sometime in 2015, the father began assaulting the children. By early 2016, the siblings were confined to a corner near the window of their home, where they spent most of their day. Several months later, they were moved to the bathroom, where they were practically left naked, according to the report.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Han described how the children spent their nights sleeping in the bathroom, only being let out during the day for meals or when the adults needed to use the toilet. Disturbingly, a closed-circuit television camera was installed to monitor their activities in the bathroom.
The tragic event leading to the girl’s death occurred on August 10, 2017.
Her stepmother attempted to get her to exercise, but when she refused, her father resorted to physical violence, assaulting her on the head and face. Shockingly, it wasn’t until approximately 15 hours later that the father realized the girl had died. During this time, he took several actions to cover up the crime. He cleaned up the flat, packed up items associated with the girl, washed her, dressed her, and placed her lifeless body in a pram.
The father and stepmother colluded to deceive the police, claiming that the girl and her biological brother were staying at the paternal grandmother’s house. The father then left the flat to purchase beer but returned to assault his wife, though the reasons for this altercation were not disclosed in court documents.
He disposed of incriminating items, including the bathroom camera, a mobile phone, scissors, a cane, a rubber hose, bath towels, and a child safety gate, discarding them in different bins in nearby blocks.
After some time, the father brought his son and the lifeless body of the girl, still in the pram, to a hospital, as stated by DPP Han. During the investigations, the father allegedly lied to the police multiple times, falsely claiming that the girl had died after hitting her head on a slide.
Based on the autopsy conducted by the Health Sciences Authority, the cause of death was determined to be a head injury, likely resulting from blunt force trauma inflicted by multiple blows, the report added.
The stepmother, a 32-year-old Pizza Hut rider, testified in court as a witness. She coldly stated that she felt no emotions toward the victim or her brother, emphasizing her unwillingness to consider them her own children even after marriage.
The trial continues, shedding light on the horrific abuse endured by the young girl and underscoring the need for justice to prevail in this distressing case.
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