Former Hong Kong officer jailed for 16 years, 8 months over sexual assaults on two underage daughters

A former Hong Kong police officer who sexually assaulted his two underage daughters and impregnated one of them when his wife could not satisfy his needs was jailed for 16 years and eight months by a court on Thursday.

The sexual abuse, which lasted for three years, came to light on December 17, 2016 when his elder daughter, 15, was rushed to hospital with severe stomach pain. She was found to be around 30 weeks pregnant.

She went into labour and gave birth to the baby that day.

Daughter in Hong Kong incest case had sex with father so he would not marry his fiancée, court hears

The High Court heard that the man first became sexually involved with his daughters in 2013, when he pulled their pants off during play and went on to rape his younger daughter, then 10, after failing to penetrate her sister, 12.

He recalled the girls were laughing at the time as he did not explain to them what had happened.

On Thursday, the 61-year-old father pleaded guilty to eight counts of incest, rape, attempted rape and indecent assault. Neither he, nor his daughters, can be identified for legal reasons.

Deputy High Court judge Mr Justice Brian Keith said the case involved “unquestionably very serious offences” and “a breach of trust of the very worst kind”.

“Incest is one of our society’s great taboos,” he said. “It strikes at the very fabric of family life, especially when there is, as here, such a disparity of age between you and your daughters.”

The father kept his head low as an interpreter translated the statements. His counsel noted the case was only mitigated by the guilty plea, which spared his daughters from having to recall the ordeal in court.

A source familiar with the case revealed that the younger daughter, now 14, has refused to talk to a clinical psychologist, while her sister spoke little of what happened.

Acting senior public prosecutor Lenny Cheng told the court that the elder daughter had tried to resist by locking her bedroom door, but her father managed to enter with his key. She tried to twist and turn in bed to avoid him but he pinned her down. “She did not know what to do,” the prosecutor said.

Her child, who was given up for adoption, was said to be in normal health.

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Upon his arrest, the father admitted: “I was wrong, I had done something very wrong and made her pregnant.” He also confessed that he liked watching pornographic movies depicting incest and had been watching them before he raped his daughter.

The policeman-turned-taxi driver had prior convictions for dangerous driving and overcharging taxi passengers.

The judge said he had considered an indeterminate sentence in the present case, but decided against it as there was no evidence to suggest the man posed a threat to other women.

A starting point of 25 years’ imprisonment was adopted, and reduced by one-third to account for the guilty plea.

“You will by then be at an age where your libido would have subsided,” the judge said. “And you will not be alone with them where sexual activities are possible. They would be adult women then.”