Rapist who fled leaving 12-year-old girl pregnant is jailed

A man who fled the country after raping a 12-year-old girl has been jailed for more than five years.

Balwinder Singh impregnated the schoolgirl at a house in Edinburgh in the summer of 2016.

The girl later complained of having stomach pains and was taken to the family doctor by her mother.

It was confirmed that she was at an advanced stage of pregnancy and that a termination could not be carried out.

Singh, 54, was brought back to Scotland to face prosecution after he was detained by authorities in Canada.

He was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh on Thursday for five years and four months.

A judge told Singh: “You have pled guilty to the rape of a 12-year-old child on an occasion in 2016. The victim became pregnant and gave birth, which caused her very considerable distress.”

Lady Scott said the rape of a child was always very serious and it appeared from a background report prepared on Singh that on occasion he blamed the girl for his conduct.

The judge added: “There is no suggestion of grooming and, in addition, I take into account that you have pled guilty at an early stage and that you have no prior sexual offending and no relevant record.”

Lady Scott said he would have faced an eight-year sentence of imprisonment if he had been convicted after trial.

Advocate depute Isla Davie QC told the court that the baby was born under sheets at the girl’s request and immediately removed from her room.

The baby was fostered and then adopted.

Singh was found to have left for Hong Kong before going on to Canada. In January this year, Canadian authorities told the Crown that Singh was in custody after being detained over an alleged shoplifting offence.

He was deported and arrested on arrival at London’s Heathrow airport. A DNA sample was taken from him and it was confirmed his DNA was present in that of the child.

Defence counsel Kenneth Cloggie said there was no violence or use of alcohol or drugs in Singh’s sex crime.

Singh earlier admitted that on one occasion between June 1 and July 31 in 2016 he raped the girl and caused her to become pregnant, resulting in the birth of a child.

Singh was put on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.