SINGAPORE: A 42-year-old man who repeatedly molested his colleague at work on the night shift was sentenced to 26 months’ jail and six strokes of the cane on Thursday (Aug 21).
He was also ordered to pay S$766.56 (US$596) for the expenses the woman incurred seeking psychiatric and psychological treatment after the assault.
He pleaded guilty to three charges of molestation, with another three similar charges considered in sentencing.
The man cannot be named as this could lead to the victim’s identification. He was her team leader.
The man has appealed against his sentence. He is defended by Mr Gino Hardial Singh and Mr Ariffin Sha of law firm Abbots Chambers.
The offender first hugged the younger woman from behind for five minutes without her consent when they were deployed together on the night shift on Feb 6, 2024.
Overnight from Feb 8 to Feb 9, 2024, they were alone again as the only members of their team on the night shift.
Around 1.30am, the man made the woman sit on his lap, hugged her from behind and molested her. He continued even though she said no when he asked if what he was doing was okay.
“The victim did not struggle as they were alone in the office and she was afraid of what he might do,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Pei Wei.
After some time, the man fell asleep. When he woke up about an hour later, he was still hugging the victim, and molested her again.
He fell asleep and woke up again around 5.30am. He kissed and touched the woman. When he asked her “can or not” and she said no, he stopped momentarily.
But he then continued molesting her for about five to 10 minutes.
Around 6.30am, the woman heard people passing by outside the room. She told the man she needed the toilet so that he would let her leave.
She hid in the toilet and sent a friend a text message for support.
Later that morning, she sent a text message to her reporting officer telling him something had happened and she no longer felt comfortable working in her team.
They spoke on the next occasion the reporting officer was in the office, and the woman told him what had happened.
She made a police report later that afternoon on Feb 13, 2024. The offender was arrested the next day.
After being assaulted, the woman suffered from poor sleep, nightmares, flashbacks of the incident and thoughts of self-harm. She was also scared of others touching her.
She was referred to the hospital for psychological trauma, and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, for which she received treatment.
The prosecutor asked for 28 to 34 months’ jail and eight strokes of the cane.
“There was a betrayal of trust as the accused assaulted the victim at their workplace, whilst they were on standby and alone in an isolated place.
“Had they not been colleagues, the victim may have taken further steps to ensure her safety,” said Ms Tan.
She also highlighted the psychological and emotional harm the victim suffered, which included difficulty focusing on work and fear of interacting with colleagues, especially men.
The defence sought 11 months’ jail and six strokes of the cane.
“In the present case, there was no violence, no serious abuse of a position of trust, and no deception. Moreover, the complainant was not a vulnerable victim,” said Mr Singh and Mr Ariffin.
