Jail, caning for man who tried to rape drunk friend after night out, molested her on the way to his home
A photo of the State Courts in Singapore. (Photo: TODAY)
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- A 39-year-old man was sentenced on Jan 18 to four years and six months' jail and three strokes of the cane for attempting to rape his friend while drunk
- They had been with their respective partners but boarded a taxi without them to the man's home
- He will begin his sentence on Feb 13
SINGAPORE: A 39-year-old man who attempted to rape his intoxicated friend, 29, at his home after a night out with friends was handed four years and six months' jail and three strokes of the cane on Thursday (Jan 18).
He also molested the victim in a taxi on the way to his apartment, leaving the two others in the group of friends - his girlfriend and the victim's boyfriend - waiting for a separate cab.
He pleaded guilty to attempted rape on Monday. Two charges for molestation were taken into consideration.
He and the others involved in the case cannot be named due to a gag order protecting the victim's identity.
WHAT HAPPENED
The court heard on Monday that the man, the victim and their respective partners went for drinks at a bar on Apr 1, 2019. The man and victim were drunk, court documents stated.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh said that the four were friends in the Philippines before they came to work in Singapore.
The four left the bar at around 1am and took a Grab ride together.
Before the car drove off, however, the victim vomited in the vehicle. This led the four of them to get out of the car.
The court heard that while their partners were looking for another taxi, the man and the victim boarded the first one that arrived and headed to his home without their partners, even though his girlfriend was living in his apartment.
On the way to his home, the man pulled the victim towards him and molested her. She was "in and out of consciousness" at the time, the prosecutor said.
When they arrived at his home, the man helped the victim lie down on a bed, where she fell asleep.
He groped the victim, later deciding to take off their clothes and to rape her.
"The victim felt weak when she woke up and tried to turn away from the accused," the prosecutor said.
Rejecting his advances, the victim crossed her legs to prevent him from raping her. The man eventually stopped, got dressed and left the room.
After the incident, the victim confided in her close friends and sought help from the Association of Women for Action and Research, a women's support group, because she was having nightmares and panic attacks for two to three months after the attempted rape.
The prosecution sought a sentence of five years' jail and six strokes of the cane, and said that the man had "violated the trust (the victim) had placed in him".
His lawyer, Mr Raphael Louis from Ray Louis Corporation, sought a lighter sentence of three-and-a-half years' jail.
He said on Monday that the man had "shown genuine remorse" and that alcohol clouded "everyone's decision".
The man will begin his sentence on Feb 13 after he was granted a deferment.
For attempted rape, the man could have been jailed up to 20 years and fined or caned.
This story was originally published in TODAY.
