Ex-Prive Group CEO who punched 13-year-old boy gets mandatory treatment

SINGAPORE: The former CEO of food and beverage group The Prive Group was on Tuesday (Mar 29) ordered to undergo 12 months of mandatory treatment.

French national Jean-Luc Kha Vu Han, 44, punched a 13-year-old boy on his temple and asked him lewd questions in a lift in 2019. He was intoxicated at the time.

A mandatory treatment order (MTO) directs an offender suffering from certain treatable psychiatric conditions to undergo psychiatric treatment. The court had ordered an MTO suitability report for Vu Han at the previous hearing.

Defence lawyer Teh Ee-von said the report by Dr Pamela Ng, a psychiatrist with the Institute of Mental Health, found that Vu Han was suffering from bipolar disorder, which is a treatable mental illness.

Dr Ng said it was likely that during the incident, Vu Han had a manic episode with a possibility of psychosis, which caused him to be impulsive, according to the lawyer.

Dr Ng found a "contributory link" between Vu Han's mental condition and the offending behaviour, said Ms Teh. The doctor also reported that his condition had shown improvement with treatment.

This led Dr Ng to recommend that Vu Han was a suitable candidate for MTO, which she thought should extend for a period of 12 months.

Ms Teh said her client showed "high rehabilitative potential" as she called for the judge to sentence him to an MTO.

"He is extremely remorseful for what he has done and he has learnt his lesson. He is seeking treatment and he is continuously following up on his end to make sure that his mood is stable and that he doesn't let his mental illness get the better of him," she said.

The incident on Nov 22, 2019 took place when Vu Han, his friend, the victim and the victim's 12-year-old brother were in a lift in Parklane Shopping Mall.

Vu Han asked the victim a question about his private parts and asked the victim if he wanted to see his private parts, to which the victim replied no.

Vu Han then said that he could arrange a sex act for the victim. The boy was alarmed and said no. Vu Han suddenly punched the boy on his temple and said, "You want to challenge me?" He later also slapped the victim's cheek.

"DEPLORABLE" ACTIONS

The prosecution maintained its objection to an MTO, asking for at least eight weeks' jail and a fine instead. After the sentence was delivered, the prosecution said it would be considering whether to mount an appeal.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Goh Yong Ngee said that while Dr Ng's report found Vu Han suitable for an MTO, the mitigatory weight of his bipolar disorder had to be considered against a backdrop of alcohol consumption.

Mr Goh pointed out that only a contributory link, as opposed to causal link, was found between Vu Han's mental condition and the offences.

He contended that Vu Han retained significant control over his actions and that his alcohol consumption, which was voluntary, may have contributed to the offences.

Mr Goh also argued that Vu Han committed the offence against a vulnerable victim, hurting the boy by delivering a punch to his head in a confined space.

While the victim's physical injuries - bruising and redness to his skin - were not serious, the incident has left an "indelible scar" on the boy, who is still afraid of entering lifts, said the prosecutor. He has also suffered flashbacks of the incident.

Ms Teh responded that Vu Han's mental condition impaired his judgment, citing Dr Ng's observation in a previous report that he was more easily irritated and had trouble controlling his actions during manic episodes.

She also said that Vu Han did not single out the victim because he was a minor, but it was just "extremely unfortunate" that the victim was a child.

District Judge Lim Tse Haw said Vu Han's offences were "deplorable" as he had attacked a young and vulnerable victim both physically and verbally, while "totally unprovoked".

However, he said the offences were not so heinous as to rule out considerations for rehabilitation completely.

The judge also said it was clear from legal precedent that a contributory rather than causal link between the mental condition and the offending behaviour was sufficient for an MTO to be granted.

He also noted that Vu Han, a first-time offender, had given a "sincere and heartfelt" letter of apology to the victim and offered to compensate for the injuries, even though the victim's parents declined his offer.