78-year-old jailed 8 months for molesting 37-year-old nursing home resident with cerebral palsy

SINGAPORE — While visiting his wife in a nursing home, a 78-year-old retiree noticed a cockroach on another resident’s chest and helped to chase it away. 

That was when he noticed that the 37-year-old’s breasts were partially exposed and he took the opportunity to molest the woman, who has cerebral palsy.

For his actions, Lau Loi Fatt was sentenced to eight months’ jail in a district court on Monday (Sept 16). He cannot be caned as he is above 50 years old.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of using criminal force to molest the victim. The maximum sentence he could have received was two years’ jail and a fine.

The court heard that he was visiting his wife at the nursing home in the eastern part of Singapore on Jan 22 this year.

The victim — who has had cerebral palsy since birth and has difficulty speaking and expressing herself — was sitting in her wheelchair at the day activity area. About 30 other residents were performing therapy exercises there too.

Lau noticed that she was alone and looked unwell with both of her hands bandaged.

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As he approached her a few minutes later, he noticed a cockroach flying around her chest area. He flicked it away before further noticing that her clothing was loose and that she was not wearing a bra.

He then put his hand through the opening of her top and fondled her for a few seconds.

When a therapy assistant noticed him standing close to the victim, he alerted a nursing aid, who saw Lau’s hand moving beneath the victim’s clothes near her breast.

Lau did not reply when the nursing aid asked what he was doing. Instead, he walked away and left the nursing home.

The home’s nurse manager lodged a police report the next day.

In mitigation, Lau’s lawyer Shaneet Rai said that it was a spur-of-the-moment act and that his client was remorseful.