SINGAPORE – An elderly man molested his eight-year-old granddaughter on at least nine occasions between January and September 2020 when she stayed over at his home.

The girl told her father – the offender’s son – about her ordeal, and the elderly man admitted to his offences when confronted.

The victim’s father, however, did not alert the police. The authorities found out only in April 2021, after the girl told her form teacher that she had been “inappropriately touched”.

The girl later confided in a school counsellor, who then lodged a police report on April 19, 2021.

On March 15, the 74-year-old grandfather pleaded guilty to a molestation charge and was sentenced to two years and six months’ jail.

He cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the victim’s identity.

The victim and her two brothers visited the offender regularly from January to September 2020, and they stayed at his home on weekends.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chan Yi Cheng said that the three children slept with their paternal grandparents in the same bedroom. The victim and the offender shared the bed, while her siblings slept on the floor with their grandmother.

The DPP said: “According to the victim, the touching occurred almost every weekend when she stayed over.

“Other than the fact that it occurred at least once per month, the victim was unable to detail the exact number of occasions in which this had occurred.”

The victim finally decided to tell her father about the offender’s actions after she was molested in September 2020. The man then confronted his father, who came clean to what he had done.

The prosecutor told the court: “Following the confrontation, the victim’s father decided to stop sending his three children to the accused’s house to stay over.

“The victim and her father decided not to make a police report at that point in time, as they decided to forget about the matter and move on with their lives.”

On April 14, 2021, the victim attended a guidance programme in school about cyber-bullying and after the lesson, she told her form teacher that she had been “inappropriately touched”.

Two days later, a counsellor met the victim, who spoke up about being touched by her grandfather.

The counsellor sought advice from the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and was told to lodge a police report on the victim’s behalf, which she did on April 19, 2021.