A father sexually-abused his young daughter for almost a decade then found other ways to humiliate her, culminating in a 26-hour ordeal in which she was chained in her bedroom and forced to use a bucket as a toilet.
The now 69-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughter, was this week sentenced in the West Australian District Court to eight years in prison.
The sexual abuse against the girl began when she was four in 2002, with the man initially pretending it was a game, then the final sexual incident happened in Thailand in 2011.
Judge Wendy Gillan said the man would also "engage in harsh discipline", including shutting his then-six-year-old daughter in the bathroom for a period when she got a poor result at school.
He also hit her with objects, including a wooden broom and a wooden spoon so hard that it broke, and threw the girl and her electronic devices into a swimming pool.
If she misbehaved when they were out, the man forced the girl to stand in the corner of a restaurant with her nose to the wall, the court heard.
In 2012, the girl was suspended from school and the man grounded her, but she ran away.
The man then purchased two metres of galvanised chain, a D shackle, cable ties and duct tape. He already had a set of handcuffs.
He then drilled into the concrete floor of the girl's bedroom and inserted a DynaBolt, and removed most of her belongings, the court heard.
After he reported her missing to police, the girl agreed to go to the station and was returned home.
He then made her change into her school uniform, and used the handcuffs and cable ties to chain her.
She was given water and bread, and a bucket to use as a toilet.
"She cried herself to sleep," Judge Gillan said.
The man's crimes were uncovered when her maternal grandmother saw what was happening and police were alerted.
Judge Gillan noted there was a "continued element of victim blaming".
She said the man had also "normalised" the sexual abuse.
"She was entitled to be kept safe from sexual abuse by you," she said.
"You let (the girl) believe for a very long time that she was somehow responsible for the sexual contact with you.
"I do have to take into account the abhorrent nature of your offending and the effect that it has had on your daughter."
The man must serve at least six years behind bars before he can be eligible for parole.
Australian Associated Press
