SINGAPORE, Jan 15 — After a night of drinking with his girlfriend and two friends, a man got into a taxi with his drunk female friend and ended up trying to rape her at her home.
He also sexually assaulted the victim in a taxi on the way to his apartment, leaving his girlfriend behind to find another taxi with the victim’s partner.
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In state court today, he pleaded guilty to attempted rape. Two sexual abuse charges were considered.
Due to a gag order to protect the identity of the victim, the names of those involved in the incident, including the man, cannot be made public.
what happened
The court heard the man, the victim and their respective partners went to a bar for drinks on April 1, 2019.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh said the four were friends in the Philippines before working in Singapore.
According to court documents, both the victim and the man were intoxicated.
The four of them left the bar around 1 a.m. the next day and boarded a Grab ride together.
However, before the car left, the victim vomited inside the car. This caused the four people to get out of the car.
The court heard that while the partners were looking for another taxi, the man and the victim got into a taxi that arrived and drove home without their partner.
This is despite the fact that the man’s girlfriend also lived in his apartment.
The court heard that on the way to the apartment, he pulled the victim towards him so he could rest his head on his shoulder. He then placed her hand on his genitals and continued to grope her throughout her ride.
During this time, she was “in and out of consciousness,” said Koh, of the Democratic Progressive Party.
Upon arriving at the home, the man helped the victim lie down on the bed, where she fell asleep.
He then continued to grope the victim before deciding to remove her clothes and rape her.
“When the victim woke up, she felt weak and tried to look away from the defendant,” said Koh, DPP.
The victim refused his advances and crossed her legs to prevent the rape. Eventually, the man stopped, got dressed, and left the room.
betrayed trust
The victim’s boyfriend then arrived at the man’s home and took the victim back to his apartment, according to court documents.
The victim had been suffering from nightmares and panic attacks for two to three months after the incident, so she confided in her close friends and sought help from the Women’s Association for Action and Research, a women’s support group.
“The victim attended a counseling session on May 14, 2019, and subsequently filed a police report on May 27, 2019,” said Koh.
Today, DPP Koh and DPP Muhammad Imadudian asked for a sentence of five years in prison and six strokes of the cane.
“The victim was in a vulnerable position due to his intoxication…The defendant not only abused their friendship, but also betrayed the trust the victim had placed in him,” Democratic Party leader Koh said.
In the men’s mitigation plea, Rafael Ruiz of Ray Ruiz Corporation denied there was any abuse of friendship and trust.
“When they went out drinking, it was a joint decision,” he said, adding that his client had not planned his actions.
“Drinking clouded everyone’s judgment…My client was in the taxi with the victim, not his girlfriend at the time.”
Louis said this did not excuse the man’s actions, but said his client was “genuinely remorseful” and asked for a lighter sentence of three-and-a-half years in prison.
The man is scheduled to reappear in court for sentencing on January 18th.
For attempted rape, a man could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, a fine or caning. – today