Cook at Mandai Hill Camp repeatedly molested co-worker, gets jail

SINGAPORE: A cook working at Mandai Hill Camp molested his co-worker for months, pinching her buttocks and hugging her from behind when nobody was looking.

He Yanjun, 45, was sentenced on Thursday (May 26) to six weeks' jail after pleading guilty to two counts of using criminal force to outrage the woman's modesty.

Another four similar charges were considered for sentencing.

He started to inappropriately touch the victim, whose identity is protected by gag order, in December 2019.

The victim tried to be vigilant about He's presence around her to avoid his touch, but he was still able to catch her off-guard, the court heard.

In one such instance on Jan 17, 2020, the victim was bending down to clean the floor with a spray hose when He approached her from behind and hugged her midriff.

The victim angled the hose to spray water at He, who then walked to her front and bent the neck of the hose so that water was unable to flow out.

He only walked away after the woman grabbed a second hose lying on the floor and brandished it at him.

Sometime later that month, He approached the victim while she was in a store room, hugging her from behind and holding her wrist.

The woman was fearful that no one else would enter the store room and come to her help. She struggled forcefully to free herself, but the more she did so, the tighter He's grip became.

She then tried to break free by lowering her body until she was lying on the ground. At this point, He let go and left the store room.

He continued to touch the victim inappropriately. On Feb 14, 2020, he pinched the victim's buttock and she decided to inform her supervisor of this.

The supervisor initiated internal investigations and asked the victim if she wanted to make a police report.

She decided to make a police report on Feb 17, 2020, and was escorted to a police centre to do so.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Jing Min asked for six to eight weeks' jail, arguing that this was a case of workplace harassment with a need to deter other potential offenders.

She highlighted that there was an element of restraint in both charges, as He approached the victim in enclosed spaces and used his arms or other parts of his body to restrain her.

Defence lawyer Foo Ho Chew said his client was remorseful and noted that this was his first offence of any kind.

"He has vowed to change his ways with female acquaintances and friends in the future," said Mr Foo.

However, Ms Tan pointed out that He had previously claimed trial to the charges, and argued that he only decided to plead guilty after seeing the weight of evidence against him.

District Judge Victor Yeo said he took into account the element of restraint and number of incidents occurring in the workplace to determine the jail sentence.

He, a permanent resident, will start serving his sentence next week after the judge granted his request for a deferment to settle matters related to his work and family.

He is no longer working at Mandai Hill Camp. He was accompanied to court by his wife, who is also his bailor.

The punishment for using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a person is up to three years' jail, a fine, caning or any combination of these punishments.