Daily Record

Child rapist fled UK after 12-year-old fell pregnant

Court told how ‘naive, shy little girl’ didn’t want to see her newborn baby

- BY DAVE FINLAY

A RAPIST fled the country after his 12-year-old victim was found to be pregnant.

However, Balwinder Singh, 54, was brought back to Scotland to face justice after being detained by authoritie­s in Canada.

Singh had sex with the girl at a house in Edinburgh in 2016.

Months later, the child complained of having stomach pains. Her mother took her to see their family doctor, who confirmed she was pregnant.

Advocate depute Isla Davie QC told the High Court in Edinburgh: “The girl’s mother made it clear to the GP that her daughter didn’t wish to continue with the pregnancy.”

However, a terminatio­n couldn’t be carried out as the pregnancy was too far advanced. The child went into labour early but, at the girl’s request, the baby was born under sheets and immediatel­y removed from her room. Miss Davie said the rape victim presented as “a very young, naive, shy little girl” and had little or no sexual knowledge.

The baby was fostered after birth and later adopted.

Police seeking to identify the father carried out a blood test on the baby to get a DNA profile.

They discovered that Indian-born Singh had a son and through him found a potential match to the rapist.

In January, Canadian authoritie­s told the Crown Singh was in custody after being picked up for an alleged shopliftin­g offence He was deported and arrested on arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport. A DNA sample was taken and it was confirmed his DNA was present in the child.

Singh yesterday admitted he raped the girl and caused her to become pregnant.

The judge, Lady Scott, deferred sentence and Singh was placed on the sex offenders’ register.

Detective Inspector Jonny Wright, of Edinburgh’s Public Protection Unit, said: “Singh travelled across the world seeking to avoid detection. However, he was traced and deported.

“Police Scotland’s Internatio­nal Unit, Canada Border Services Agency, Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service made significan­t contributi­ons towards achieving Singh’s conviction.

“He will now face justice for the abhorrent offence committed by him.”

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Balwinder Singh
FUGITIVE Balwinder Singh

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