Case Review: DDO v DDN [2023] SGHCF 44

In a recent court decision, a 43-year-old doctor in Singapore has lost overnight access to his 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son after his former wife presented transcripts of audio recordings highlighting his sexual promiscuity and an “unhealthy obsession” with pornography and underage girls. The recordings revealed shocking conversations between the doctor and a close friend, a teacher, who introduced him to 14-year-old girls for potential sexual encounters.

The judge, Senior Judge Chan Seng Onn, reviewed the transcripts and agreed with the mother’s concerns, justifying the removal of the father’s overnight and overseas access to the children. The judge expressed concern about the father’s negative influence and the risk of harm to the children based on his discussions with the friend about entrusting the children to two men known for encouraging the doctor’s inappropriate behavior.

The judge emphasized that the evidence showed the father’s lustful desires extended beyond prostitutes and pornography to include underage girls. Despite the father’s claims that his words were jokes or locker room talk, the judge rejected this argument, pointing out instances where the father had actually met with underage girls and sought contact details for others.

The couple, married in June 2006, filed for divorce in June 2021, with interim judgment granted in October 2021. Mediation sessions initially allowed the father access to the children on specific days, including overnight stays and overseas travel during school holidays.

During the court hearing on August 30, 2023, the mother requested a reduction in the father’s access, citing his return to a promiscuous lifestyle and inappropriate behavior, including watching obscene videos without headphones and paying for sex with women, leaving sexual objects easily visible to the children. While the judge did not find evidence of sexual objects around the house, he acknowledged the father’s clear appetite for pornography.

Despite the father’s argument that the allegations were known to the mother when she consented to the access orders, the judge emphasized that the court cannot ignore evidence pointing to a real risk of harm to the children. The father has appealed the decision, and the case highlights the challenging balance between personal privacy and safeguarding the welfare of children in divorce proceedings.