A 44-year-old dad has been found guilty of repeatedly raping his young daughter after she exposed his crimes in an anonymous letter to a teacher.
The jury took eight hours to find the defendant, known only in court as HKH, guilty of one count of indecent assault and two counts of rape yesterday evening, HK01 reports.
The website reports that HKH appeared dumbfounded as the guilty verdict for the indecent assault charge was read out and shook his head repeatedly when he heard he was convicted for rape as well.
HKH was remanded to custody, and Justice Patrick Li Hon-leung adjourned the case until January 30, when mitigating statements from HKH’s lawyer will be heard.
The judge also ordered a psychological assessment and impact report on the victim, who was referred to in court as X.
Last month, the High Court heard that the case first came to light when X, now 11-years-old, sent an anonymous letter to her teachers asking “Will I get pregnant if I was forced to have sex with my dad?”
The note prompted teachers at the school to identify X, and then alert the authorities.
During the trial, X said she had been raped and indecently assaulted six to seven times, starting from when she was just 7-years-old.
Prosecutors had enough evidence to charge HKH with one incident of indecent assault that happened when she was 8-years-old, and two incidents of rape that happened when she was 9 and 10-years-old.
During the trial, prosecutors dismissed arguments from the defense that X was coached by her mom as well as arguments that the allegations had been made up since X remembered the incidents very clearly and she was a well-behaved child who wouldn’t lodge a false accusation.
The court heard a police interview with X in which she said she didn’t tell anyone because her dad told her to keep it between them and that he would be arrested if anyone found out.
HKH said during his testimony that he loves his daughter and denied raping her, adding that he doesn’t know why she would accuse him of rape and that, when she was in kindergarten, she would ask to sleep in the same bed as him.
The court also heard that X’s parents got divorced in 2016 following a domestic dispute, and HKH told the court that he dealt with his sexual needs by masturbating and soliciting the services of prostitutes.
