Man gets 2 weeks’ jail for falsely accusing sister of incest
Reuters file photo
SINGAPORE — Unhappy that his family had objected to his relationship with his then-fiancee, an unemployed man lied to the police that his elder sister committed incest with him so the police might launch investigations against her.
For making the false report, the 25-year-old was sentenced to two weeks in jail on Thursday (Jan 4).
The 25-year-old convict cannot be named because of a gag order protecting his 28-year-old sister.
He had told the police that his sister, who is a nurse at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, had sex with him in her bedroom about nine years ago.
He made the false accusation on March 31, 2016, when the police was interviewing him about another false report he made that day. He had accused his sister of threatening him and his then-fiancee with a kitchen knife.
His fiancee, who is 28, was living with him and his family in their Yishun flat, but was asked to move out by his parents. She was at the unit to pack her belongings when the man accused his sister of threatening them.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Claire Poh stated the man “decided to lie about the victim as he was unhappy that his sister had been trying to cause trouble at home”.
Following the interview, the police started investigations on his sister, making four appointments to interview her for the offence of incest.
More than a month later, on May 4, the man admitted to making the false police report. The offence carries a penalty of up to a year’s jail, and/or a fine of up to S$5,000.
He was issued five charges — three for lying about his sister’s sexual relationship with him, and two for lying that her sister had threatened him and his fiancee with a knife.
In sentencing, District Judge Eddy Tham took into consideration a Institute of Mental Health report certifying the man’s mild intellectual disability. The report, dated Sept 15 last year, also stated that the man is easily influenced and has a tendency to believe indiscriminately what others tell him.
But the judge considered that what he made was a “serious” false allegation, and it “would cause great embarrassment to the victim”.
