SINGAPORE - Twice, she was locked out of her home. At other times, her then boyfriend hit her and spat in her face. The woman finally left the relationship after months of abuse in 2018 upon realising that "the emotional and physical exhaustion was no longer sustainable". On Tuesday (Oct 5), her abuser was sentenced to seven weeks' jail and a fine of $5,400. After a trial, District Judge Sarah Tan earlier found the 41-year-old European man guilty of seven counts of assault and two of wrongful confinement. She also convicted him of one count of using criminal force on the woman. He was, however, acquitted of one count each of assault and molestation. He cannot be identified owing to a gag order to protect his former girlfriend's identity. He committed the offences between May and August 2018. In their submissions, deputy public prosecutors Chin Jincheng and Melina Chew said: "As the great singer Adele once said, sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead. This case is a tragic instance of the latter." The court heard that the couple first met in 2017 and became an item later that year. She moved in with the man in February 2018. The prosecutors said: "Unfortunately, the romantic relationship between the accused and the victim was unstable and fraught with physical and emotional abuse. Notwithstanding this, the victim continued to stay in the relationship as she genuinely loved the accused, felt that he was someone she would spend the rest of her life with, and wanted to make the relationship work. "The victim was also emotionally reliant on the accused throughout the course of the relationship as she was unemployed and was at what she described as the weakest point in her life." The abuse started on May 16, 2018 after the couple got into a tiff over issues linked to a swingers' party. More on this topic Related Story Jail, fine for man who abused girlfriend by hitting her and tying her to a chair Related Story Man jailed 2 months for assaulting then girlfriend and kicking her The woman went to the balcony of their home to smoke before realising that he had secured a sliding door, locking her out. The DPPs said: "The victim and the accused texted each other, during which the accused told her that he would only let her back into the house if she agreed to leave. The victim also informed the accused that she needed to go to the toilet urgently." She re-entered their home only about an hour later, the court heard. The couple later got into another argument. She tried to speak to the man about the matter on June 20, 2018, but he refused to engage her. Instead, he became agitated and started calling her names. He picked up a remote control and flung it at her face, hitting her lip. The woman was later resting on a bed when he told her to leave the room. When she refused, he grabbed hold of her legs and yanked her off the bed. This caused the victim to fall, scrape her left elbow and hit the back of her head. The couple got into yet another tiff on July 24, 2018, and the man, who became "very agitated", started yelling at her. He told her that he wanted them to break up before he spat in her face. Soon after, he grabbed her ankles and dragged her to a dining table. She fell backwards and the back of her head struck the floor. Later that evening, he grabbed her hair and pulled her to the main door of their home. He opened the door and told her to get out. She was in a bedroom the next day when he took her laptop and used it to repeatedly hit her thighs. The woman left their home to stay with a friend following this incident but returned soon after. The pair were in a bedroom on July 27 that year when the man repeatedly hit her legs with his elbow and forearm. More on this topic Related Story Doctor jailed and caned for assaulting girlfriend struck off medical register Related Story Dentistry student who tried to strangle ex-girlfriend suspended by NUS, facing disciplinary proceedings The woman made her first police report four days later but continued her relationship with the man. On Aug 17 that year, the man picked up his jeans, which had a belt attached, and used the garment to hit her face. She felt the sharp edges of the belt clasp scratching her face. The prosecutors said the woman went to a service yard near their home 13 days later to smoke when the man locked her out. The door was unlocked only about 15 minutes later. The court heard that she filed her second police report on Nov 23, 2018. The prosecutors said: "The victim finally accepted that the relationship had ended... She decided to file the second police report against the accused... stating that she wanted to press charges against (him)." In his defence, the man said the woman had "constantly harassed, badgered and manipulated him into being with her". He eventually "gave in to her" to have his "peace and rest". The court heard that he had been found to have major depressive disorder from May to December 2018. His bail was set at $20,000 on Tuesday and he was ordered to surrender himself at the State Courts on Oct 7 to begin serving his sentence. For each count of assault, an offender can be jailed up to two years and fined up to $5,000. More on this topic Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
SINGAPORE - It might be a deeply personal issue for some, and others might even be offended when asked. But knowing about a rape victim's sexual history is important in rape investigations, said the police and criminal lawyers. Not only does it help in analysing forensic medical examinations, but it also helps investigating officers pose questions about the assault to victims in a way they would be comfortable with, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kimberly Ang. DSP Ang, an officer-in-charge of a team at the Serious Sexual Crime Branch (SSCB) in the Criminal Investigation Department, told The Sunday Times: "We need to know so we can calibrate how we ask questions because some people may not understand the words we use." She added that if the victim is a child or someone who may be new to sexual acts, the person might be more comfortable communicating through dolls, drawings or writing. This is where the training and assessment on victim management for SSCB officers come in. DSP Ang, who has been with the SSCB for two years, added: "The challenge is building the trust (and) a rapport from the start. When we are able to do that from the beginning, the rest actually flows quite naturally." Defence lawyers said that relevance is key, in court, if they wish to bring up the sexual history of an alleged victim. Since 2018, the accused or his counsel has been required to get the court's permission before they can adduce evidence or ask the victim questions about physical appearance or sexual behaviour which does not relate to the charge. Mr Sunil Sudheesan, president of the Association of Criminal Lawyers of Singapore, said: "When we talk about sexual history with other persons, to me, it's not relevant to the incident with this new perpetrator." However, Mr Cory Wong from Invictus Law Corporation suggested that one instance in which a victim's sexual history could be relevant is if there is reasonable doubt as to whether vaginal tears found during the medical examination are linked to a separate instance of consensual sex instead of the alleged rape. Ultimately, Ms Gloria James of Gloria James-Civetta & Co stressed, the questioning of sexual history in police investigations should not get misconstrued and no one should draw their own conclusions on a victim or the incident as whole. She said: "This act of 'victim-blaming' is archaic and has no place in our current society." Why what victim wore could matter For reasons as simple as locating the victim on closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, or retrieving items for forensic analysis, what the victim wore during the assault is important to uncover the facts. It should not be construed as judging or placing blame on the victim, said defence lawyers and a police investigating officer. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kimberly Ang, an officer-in-charge of a team at the Serious Sexual Crime Branch in the Criminal Investigation Department, said that she understood why a layman would think that officers asking a victim what she wore could sound like they were imposing responsibility on the victim. DSP Ang explained that the line of questioning is part of the fact-finding process. For example, when investigators are going through CCTV footage, they need to know what the victim was wearing to be able to find her. She added: "Understandably for victims, when you're asking them intrusive or sensitive questions before they are willing to share, they're not going to just tell a total stranger. And they will be worried what (the investigating officer) thinks of them." More on this topic Related Story Helping rape victims in Singapore who come forward Related Story Building rapport with victims key to solving sex crimes, says police officer Officers reassure the victims not to worry about the officers' opinion about them, because they are concerned only with finding out the facts to help the victims, said DSP Ang. Defence lawyers also emphasised the objective need to ask questions about clothing. Ms Gloria James from Gloria James-Civetta & Co said: "While we understand the concerns that arise from such questions, questions on clothing may be useful in identifying victims from video footage which the authorities may have. This could be useful to trace an unknown perpetrator, or for them to retain the clothing for forensic analysis." Aside from helping to identify the people involved, Ms Joyce Khoo from Quahe Woo & Palmer noted that dress choices could be relevant in establishing whether force was used to remove articles of clothing. She added: "Issues surrounding promiscuity are irrelevant to consent and do little to help any defence." More on this topic Related Story More must be done to prevent violence against women: PM Lee Related Story MPs call for protection of those falsely accused of sexual crimes
SINGAPORE - A 60-year-old man befriended his grandson's friend, 14, by meeting up almost daily to give him life advice. The boy's father even told the man to keep advising his son and the man responded that he thought of the boy as his own grandchild. But the man performed a sexual act on the boy at a staircase landing in January last year. On Tuesday (June 22), the man was sentenced to 20 months' jail on one charge of penetration of a child under the age of 16 while they were in an exploitative relationship. One other similar charge was taken into consideration for his sentencing. The man cannot be named, to protect the boy's identity. The man was represented by lawyer Ng Pei Qi, who told the court that her client had "misjudged the relationship and thought it was a friendship where they (could) give each other sexual (favours)". The court heard that the man met the boy in November or December 2019 when the man was picking his grandson up from school. He offered the boy a cigarette and the pair started talking and the man asked for the boy's phone number. They met up six times a week for about three hours each time, during which the victim would occasionally ask the man to buy him cigarettes. "The victim trusted and respected the accused, as the accused would frequently give him 'good advice' - such as advice not to skip school, or not to be rude to his parents," Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Teh told the court. The victim's father met the man sometime in January last year and asked the man to advise the victim and his younger brother. The man agreed to do so and told the victim's father that he treated the boys "as his own grandchildren", the court heard. On Jan 19 that year, the man met the victim at a void deck to talk and smoke. More on this topic Related Story 18 years' jail, caning for man who sexually abused two young brothers he housed in his flat Related Story Man who sexually abused nephew jailed 22 years He then took the boy to a staircase landing where he asked if he could perform a sexual act on the boy. The boy refused but the man persisted and removed the victim's pants and performed a sexual act on him for about 30 seconds. The victim kept silent and did not react as he did not know what to do. On Feb 29 last year, the victim was giving his statement at a police station for a separate incident and told the officers that he had been sexually assaulted by the man. DPP Teh urged the court for a sentence of 20 to 24 months, citing the exploitative relationship and the large age gap between the man and the boy. More on this topic Related Story Jail, caning for man who force-fed vodka to 13-year-old and raped her in park Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
SINGAPORE - As a police officer investigating a serious sex crime, he once spent half an hour on the floor talking to a girl about Korean pop stars before she felt comfortable enough to share her story with him. Deputy Superintendent Ker Boon Tat, 34, told The Straits Times that having a connection with the victim is key to solving crimes. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.
SINGAPORE - Feeling upset over personal issues, a maid decided to vent her unhappiness on a one-year-old baby boy under her care by abusing him with acts such as stepping on his leg and pushing his head until he fell. Indonesian Suliana Kasim Dapok, 42, was sentenced on Monday (April 5) to nine months' jail after pleading guilty to two counts of ill-treating the child. The baby cannot be named due to a gag order to protect his identity and details about his home have been redacted from court documents. The court heard that Suliana started working for his family in October 2018. Her duties included taking care of her employer's four children. The baby was at home at around 11.15am on May 8 last year when he vomited on a carpet in the living room. Deputy Public Prosecutor Ben Mathias Tan said: "The accused was in the process of cleaning the carpet with detergent when the victim walked towards the accused. "As the accused did not want the victim to come into contact with the detergent, the accused elbowed the victim in his face, causing the victim to fall to the floor and cry." Suliana was walking towards the kitchen after wiping the carpet when she thought that the baby would grab her leg. To prevent him from doing so, and out of frustration from having to clean the vomitus, she stepped on his right knee, causing him to cry even louder. Suliana continued to abuse the child in the living room about 20 minutes later, the court heard. The DPP said: "The accused was sitting on the sofa folding the laundry. The accused motioned for the victim to come over, which the victim did. "The accused then pushed the victim's head, causing him to fall to the floor. The accused thereafter grabbed the victim's leg to pull him towards her, and checked the victim's diapers." While getting up from the sofa to put away the clothes, Suliana stepped on the baby's right leg, causing him to cry. A closed-circuit television camera inside the flat caught her committing the acts of abuse and his mother alerted the police at 1.12pm that day. The baby was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital about an hour later and he was found with bruising along his spine. For each count of ill-treating a child, an offender can be jailed for up to eight years and fined up to $8,000. More on this topic Related Story Jail for maid who dipped baby's hand in hot water Related Story Jail for maid whose negligence caused a toothbrush to be stuck in boy's throat
SINGAPORE - A 34-year-old woman has become the fifth person from her family to be sent to jail over offences involving a mildly intellectually disabled friend who was treated as a slave and physically abused until she almost died. Haslinda Ismail was sentenced on Wednesday (Feb 3) to 8½ years' jail after she pleaded guilty last month to two counts of voluntarily causing hurt and one count of twisting the victim's toe with a pair of pliers until it fractured. She is out on $30,000 bail and will surrender herself at the State Courts on March 1 to begin her sentence. She had splashed hot water on the victim, now 30, scalding her stomach, thigh and groin. She also used a hammer to strike the victim's mouth, causing her to lose two teeth. On another occasion, Haslinda urinated into a packet of hor fun and forced the victim to eat the soiled food. The famished woman complied. Haslinda's sister, Hasniza Ismail, 40, who committed acts such as chaining the victim up to a metal plate fixed to a wall and hitting her with a baseball bat, was sentenced to three years' jail on Monday. She was also ordered to pay $1,000 in compensation to the victim. Their two brothers, Muhammad Iskandar Ismail, 32, and Muhammad Iski Ismail, 30, were sentenced on Jan 7 to jail terms of two months and four weeks and eight months respectively. Last year, Haslinda's Egyptian husband, Hany Aboubakr Abdelkarim Abdelfattah, 33, was sentenced to three weeks' jail after pleading guilty to assaulting the victim. The four siblings' mother, Hasmah Sulong, 70, is also accused of taking part in the acts of torment and her case is pending. The victim was a secondary school friend of Haslinda's brother, Mr Muhammad Isafi Ismail, and had worked in a fast-food restaurant. She got to know the rest of his family and grew close to them over time. After running away from home in early 2016, the woman moved into their flat at Block 714 Woodlands Drive 70, where she stayed rent-free. She gave Hasmah $150 a month for laundry. Things took a turn for the worse some time between May and June 2016, when Haslinda confronted the victim for performing sexual acts on her husband. The victim was then abused repeatedly and to different degrees by several members of the family for over a year - until she was finally taken to hospital in January 2018. She stopped working at the fast-food restaurant and was made to do household chores without pay after Haslinda took away her mobile phone in June 2016. From then on, several members of the family abused the victim repeatedly. More on this topic Related Story Three years' jail for woman who joined family members in abusing friend until victim almost died Related Story Family accused of abusing friend, knocking out her teeth and forcing her to eat food soiled with urine Deputy Public Prosecutors Ang Feng Qian, Li Yihong, Grace Chua and Ng Jun Chong stated in court documents: "Sometime (in June 2017), on Hasmah's instigation, Haslinda used a hammer to hit (the victim's) two upper front teeth twice causing her to lose her two upper teeth... (Later) Haslinda splashed hot water from a white electric kettle on (the victim's ) front lower body and both her thighs and caused her to suffer burns." Haslinda and Hany later moved to a unit at Block 785A Woodlands Rise. On Aug 31, 2017, Haslinda took the victim to her home to help with the family's Hari Raya Haji preparations. Haslinda then made the victim stand in the kitchen. She also made sure that the victim did not use the toilet or sleep that night. Unable to control herself any longer, the victim soiled herself at around 11am the next day. Haslinda then flew into a rage and hit the victim with a broomstick until it broke. She also used cable ties to secure the victim's hands and legs. The victim was made to stand in her kitchen in her soiled trousers until the family arrived for Hari Raya celebrations at around 3pm. They did nothing when they saw her. Hasmah had brought two packets of hor fun for the victim, the court heard. Haslinda threw one packet away and urinated into the other, and told the victim to eat the tainted food. The woman complied as she was very hungry. Later, Hany slapped the victim's face on Haslinda's instigation. Sometime between September and November 2017, in the Block 714 family home, Haslinda became angry with the victim for failing to perform her household chores properly and rained blows on the woman. Hasniza tried to stop the attack and a quarrel broke out between the two sisters. Haslinda then swore that she would not return to the flat and her abuse of the victim stopped. Despite this, the woman could not flee as she was chained up at night. More on this topic Related Story Woman pleads guilty to abusing two of her maids in separate incidents Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories Due to the repeated acts of abuse, her condition became so dire that Hasniza called for an ambulance on Jan 16, 2018. The victim was taken in a "near death state" to hospital, where she needed eight hours of resuscitation. The severely malnourished woman was later found with injuries including 10 missing teeth as well as multiple wounds and burns. She was finally discharged from the Singapore General Hospital on April 20, 2018.
SINGAPORE - A woman who joined her family members in abusing a mildly intellectually disabled friend so severely that she almost died was sentenced on Monday (Feb 1) to three years' jail and ordered to pay $1,000 in compensation to the victim. Hasniza Ismail, 40, committed acts such as chaining the victim up to a metal plate fixed to a wall and hitting her with a baseball bat. The Singaporean was the fourth person linked to the woman's horrific abuse to be dealt with in court. Last year, her Egyptian brother-in-law, Hany Aboubakr Abdelkarim Abdelfattah, 33, was sentenced to three weeks' jail after pleading guilty to assaulting the victim, now 30. One of her brothers, Muhammad Iskandar Ismail, 32, was jailed for two months and four weeks on Jan 7 this year while another brother, Muhammad Iski Ismail, 30, was sentenced to eight months' jail that day. On Jan 7, Hasniza also admitted to one count each of wrongful confinement, voluntarily causing hurt and perverting the course of justice. That same day, her sister Haslinda Ismail, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntarily causing hurt and one count of twisting the victim's toe with a pair of pliers until it fractured. Haslinda is expected to be sentenced on Wednesday. The women's mother, Hasmah Sulong, 70, is also accused of taking part in the acts of torment and her case is pending. The victim, now 30, was the secondary school friend of Hasniza's brother, Mr Muhammad Isafi Ismail, and worked in a fast-food restaurant. She got to know the rest of his family and grew close to them over time. After running away from home in early 2016, the woman moved into their flat at Block 714 Woodlands Drive 70, where she stayed rent-free. She, however, had to buy her own food and gave Hasmah $150 a month for laundry. Some time between May and June 2016, Haslinda confronted the victim for performing sexual acts on her husband. From then on, several members of the family abused the victim repeatedly. These included knocking out her teeth with a hammer and splashing boiling water on her. The court heard that Haslinda confiscated the victim's mobile phone in June 2016. The victim stopped working at the fast-food restaurant soon after and was made to do household chores without pay. More on this topic Related Story Family accused of abusing friend, knocking out her teeth and forcing her to eat food soiled with urine Related Story Woman found guilty of pouring boiling water on boyfriend's groin after she thought he was cheating on her The victim initially slept in the living room but Haslinda later accused the woman of stealing from her. On her mother's request, Hasniza bought a metal chain to restrain the victim at night. Deputy Public Prosecutors Ang Feng Qian, Li Yihong, Grace Chua and Ng Jun Chong stated in court documents: "On most nights, between 10pm and midnight, Hasmah used the metal chain, which was secured with a padlock, to tie (the victim's) hands or legs to (a) baby swing in the living room. "Hasmah wanted (the victim) chained up at night because she was concerned that (the victim) would run away or steal food from the kitchen. Hasmah would keep the key to the padlock and use it to unlock (the victim) in the morning between 8am and 10am." The court heard that a metal plate with a hook was later installed on a wall and the victim was then chained to it. There were also occasions when Hasniza chained the woman up. Some time in late 2017, the victim started suffering from urinary and faecal incontinence. She was then moved to a toilet where she was chained up for most of the day. Due to the repeated acts of abuse, the woman's condition became so dire that Hasniza called for an ambulance on Jan 16, 2018. The victim was taken to hospital in a "near death state". The severely malnourished woman was later found with injuries including 10 missing teeth, as well as multiple wounds and burns. She was only discharged from the Singapore General Hospital on April 20, 2018. The court heard that Hasniza threw away the metal chain before the police could seize it. The metal plate was removed and the wall was plastered over. Hasniza also told Iski to lie to the police about the acts of abuse. She finally came clean about the offences on Jan 27, 2018. More on this topic Related Story Businessman gets 6 years' jail for paying hitmen to attack lover of beauty queen mistress Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
SINGAPORE - He broke into his childhood friend's home during the circuit breaker period, ransacking the bedroom before leaving with a tortoise he claimed was promised to him. Roger Khoo Zhen Xuan, 36, later posted a picture of himself with the tortoise on social media, calling it his new pet. On Thursday morning (Jan 21), he pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal trespass. Another charge under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 was taken into consideration. The court was told the accused and victim had known each other since their school days. At about noon on May 23 last year, Khoo broke into the unit in Sembawang while the victim was not in, with the intention to annoy him. The accused claimed he wanted to retrieve the tortoise that the victim had promised him. However, the court heard that the victim had not promised Khoo the reptile. While in the home, Khoo ransacked the victim's bedroom. He stole the tortoise, valued at $2.50, and called for a locksmith to repair the front door. When the victim returned later that day, he found the metal gate askew and the wooden latch on his door broken. He also found his bedroom in a mess and his tortoise missing. Checking his phone, he saw that Khoo had posted a picture of himself with the tortoise on social media, claiming it was a new pet. The victim called the police at about 11.50pm, saying his home was broken into. The tortoise has since been returned to its owner. More on this topic Related Story Woman sues husband's sister for calling her 'rotten' and 'cheap' at father-in-law's wake Related Story Woman used pen, fishing hook and sticky tape to steal grocery vouchers from letter boxes Deputy Public Prosecutor Alexandria Shamini Joseph said a psychiatric report from last year showed that Khoo has bipolar disorder, and was suffering from an episode of manic relapse at the time of the offence. The prosecutor said that she would not be objecting to the calling of a report to determine Khoo's suitability for a mandatory treatment order (MTO). Defence lawyer Joshua Tong said his client was on medication and undergoing treatment. District Judge May Mesenas called for an MTO suitability report. The accused is currently out on $10,000 bail and is expected to be back in court on March 1 for sentencing. For criminal trespass, he could have been jailed for up to three months, or fined up to $1,500, or both. More on this topic Related Story Lawyer of 'sovereign' woman accused of failing to wear mask in public asks for case to be adjourned Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
Two brothers were jailed yesterday for offences related to their family's physical abuse of a friend with mild intellectual disability, which left her in a near-death state. Muhammad Iskandar Ismail, 32, was jailed for two months and four weeks after pleading guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt to the victim by slapping, punching and tripping her. He also admitted to one count of giving a false statement to the police. Muhammad Iski Ismail, 30, was jailed for eight months, after admitting to one count each of providing a false statement to the police and perverting the course of justice. Their two sisters also appeared in court yesterday. Haslinda Ismail, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntarily causing hurt and one count of twisting the victim's toe with pliers until it became fractured. Hasniza Ismail, 39, admitted to one count each of wrongful confinement, voluntarily causing hurt and perverting the course of justice. The women will be sentenced at a later date, when 14 other charges will be taken into consideration for Haslinda and seven for Hasniza. In November last year, Haslinda's husband Hany Aboubakr Abdelkarim Abdelfattah, 33, was jailed for three weeks for his involvement in the abuse. The victim, now 30, was the secondary school friend of another family member, Mr Muhammad Isafi Ismail, and worked in a fast-food restaurant. She got to know his family and grew close to them over time. After running away from home in early 2016, she moved into their flat at Block 714 Woodlands Drive 70, where she stayed rent-free. The various abuses suffered by the victim The nightmare began some time between May and June 2016, just a few months after the victim moved in with the family. For about 1½ years till January 2018, she suffered various abuses, including: • Being made to eat food soiled with urine from one of her abusers; • Having her toes twisted by pliers, causing one of them to be fractured; • Being scalded with hot water, causing burns on various parts of her body; • Having her hands, legs or neck chained to a baby swing bed, and later to a metal plate on a wall; • Being chained to a toilet bowl from late December 2017; • Being splashed with hot oil, causing injuries to her lips and burns to her body; • Having her two upper front teeth struck twice with a hammer, causing her to lose both of them; • Being struck with a baseball bat, broomstick, hanger and towel; • Being made to stand throughout the night without sleeping or using the toilet; • Being punched on her abdomen and arm; • Being kicked on her waist and back while lying on the ground; • Being bound by cable ties; • Being slapped on the face; • Being tripped onto the ground. Dominic Low But she had to buy her own food and give the siblings' mother, 69-year-old Hasmah Sulong, $150 a month for laundry. Some time between May and June 2016, Haslinda confronted the victim for performing sexual acts on her husband. From then on, several members of the family abused the victim repeatedly. This included using pliers to twist her toes and splashing boiling water on her. Haslinda confiscated the victim's mobile phone in June 2016. Thereafter, the victim stopped working at the fast-food restaurant and was made to do household chores without pay. Haslinda and Hany later moved out of the flat. More on this topic Related Story Mother and 2 daughters accused of pouring hot water on woman Related Story Woman found guilty of pouring boiling water on boyfriend's groin after she thought he was cheating on her On Aug 31, 2017, Haslinda took the victim to her home to help with Hari Raya Haji preparations. She then made the victim stand in the kitchen and made sure that she did not use the toilet or sleep that night. After the victim soiled herself the next day, Haslinda struck her with several items and used cable ties to secure her hands and legs. The victim was forced to continue standing in the kitchen in her soiled trousers until the family arrived for Hari Raya celebrations at around 3pm. Haslinda then urinated into a packet of food and forced the victim to eat it. Court documents also state that the victim initially slept in the living room, but later had her arm, leg or neck secured with a metal chain to a baby swing bed at night. She was subsequently chained to a metal plate on a wall, before being moved to the toilet when her incontinence became very severe. By late December 2017, she was chained half-naked to the toilet bowl, where she sat in her own excrement and ate off the floor. More on this topic Related Story Businessman gets 6 years' jail for paying hitmen to attack lover of beauty queen mistress Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories The victim's condition became so dire that Hasniza called an ambulance on Jan 16, 2018. In a near-death state, the victim was rushed to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where she required eight hours of resuscitation in the emergency department. She was then transferred to Singapore General Hospital, where she was found to be suffering from various injuries such as burns on her body and 10 missing teeth. She was discharged three months later. Hasniza instructed Iski to tell police officers that the victim had turned up at their flat with her injuries about two weeks before Jan 16, 2018. She also told him to disseminate her instructions to other family members. Iski and Iskandar maintained this account in their police statements. The three family members later confessed that they had lied. Hasmah's case is still pending.
SINGAPORE - A youth who left a policeman with a spinal cord injury and superficial bite wounds was on Tuesday (Jan 5) sentenced to two years' probation. As part of his probation, the 17-year-old drug offender has to remain indoors from 10pm to 6am every day and perform 80 hours of community service. He also has to undergo regular urine tests. The teenager cannot be named as those under 18 are covered under the Children and Young Persons Act. The offender had pleaded guilty in a district court on Nov 19 last year to one count each of causing grievous hurt to a public servant and methamphetamine consumption. The victim - a full-time national serviceman (NSF) - and his colleague were conducting foot patrol at Block 90 Redhill Close at around 2pm on Aug 5 last year when they entered a lift on the seventh storey, which was occupied by the offender and his cousin. Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Hsiao Tien had disclosed in earlier proceedings that the officers decided to search the occupants when they noticed the two appeared nervous and had bloodshot eyes. A small brown box the cousin was holding was found to contain drug-taking utensils. When they arrived at the ground floor of the block, the victim's colleague searched the offender's cousin. It was at this point that the offender put up a violent struggle. DPP Tan told the court: "The victim, who was standing beside the accused, managed to grab the accused from the back and pinned him down on the floor. "A struggle ensued... The victim instructed the accused to stop struggling, but he did not comply and again attempted to run away. "The victim managed to pull the accused back down. During the struggle, the accused managed to slip one of his hands out from the handcuff. "The accused also bit the victim on his left arm and left chest in an attempt to escape custody." Police back-up arrived soon after and the attacker was arrested. The offender was referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau and his urine samples were found to contain traces of methamphetamine, commonly known as Ice. More on this topic Related Story Teen attacked boy with chopper, threatened to slash policewoman's head with parang Related Story Maserati driver convicted of causing grievous hurt to policeman: Other cops injured in the line of duty Investigations revealed that he had consumed the drug on Aug 4 last year. The incident left the victim with numbness on the left side of his body. The upper and lower limbs on the left side of his body had also weakened. He was given 30 days of hospitalisation leave and has since fully recovered. Details about the offender's cousin and the outcome of his case were not disclosed in court documents. For causing grievous hurt to a public servant, an offender can be jailed for up to 15 years and fined or caned. More on this topic Related Story Man arrested for assaulting enforcement officers attached to NEA with sickle Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
A teacher performed indecent acts on two 15-year-old girls in separate incidents, and at least one of them was a student from the secondary school where he taught. He targeted his first victim in 2015. Court documents did not state if she was then a student at his school. He performed a sexual act on his second victim in his car in 2017, near a block of flats. He also asked the girl to perform a sexual act on him but she refused. The man later drove the girl home and told her not to tell anyone. But the victim told her close friends about what had happened and the police were later alerted. The offender, now 33, pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of performing an indecent act on a minor and one count of sexually penetrating an underage girl. All three charges involved the second victim. Three other charges, including those involving the first victim, will be considered during sentencing. Details about the man and the school cannot be revealed due to a gag order. Defence lawyer Edmond Pereira told a district court his client had resigned from his job as a teacher. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) James Chew said that on Feb 25, 2017, the second victim received a text message from the man asking if she wanted to meet him for a ride. She agreed and he told her not to tell anyone about their outing. The man picked her up in his car later that day before parking near Block 374, Tampines Street 34. The DPP said: "This time, the accused leaned towards the victim and started touching her thigh and neck, while at the same time, asking the victim if she trusted him. "At a loss, the victim simply replied that she did. The accused then started to kiss the victim's neck." More on this topic Related Story Teacher from top school committed indecent acts on 15-year-old female student Related Story Teacher allegedly took 168 upskirt videos at secondary school where he taught The court heard that the man committed the offences soon after. The girl thwarted his advances and he drove her home. She later blocked him on the various apps that they had used to communicate with each other. The girl confided in her close friends two days later, on Feb 27, 2017. She stopped going to school soon after, prompting school staff to visit her home on March 2 that year. A police report was made later that day. The offender, out on $15,000 bail, will be sentenced tomorrow. More on this topic Related Story Teacher gave gifts to underage female student before performing sexual acts on her Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Education said the man stopped working for MOE in September 2018. It added: "MOE takes a serious view of staff misconduct and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to our standards of conduct and discipline, including dismissal from service."
SINGAPORE - A former national football player was sentenced on Friday (Nov 13) to 18 weeks' jail and a fine of $1,000 for offences including molesting his Tinder date's friend. The incident happened after Mohammad Imran Sahib Mohamed Ibrahim Sahib met a woman on the online dating platform and they went clubbing together in 2018 with one of her female friends. After the night out, the married man decided to take both women home in his car. But after dropping off his date, he molested the victim when they were alone. The victim and her friend cannot be named owing to a gag order. Last month, District Judge Kan Shuk Weng convicted the 38-year-old Singaporean after a trial of two counts of molestation and one count of using criminal force on the victim. On Friday, Judge Kan said that one of the acts of molestation took place while the car was on the move, reducing the victim's chance of escape. She noted that the father-of-three is a first-time offender and had contributed to Singapore's sporting scene when he was a national football player. In her submissions during the trial, Deputy Public Prosecutor Chee Ee Ling said that when Imran and the two women left a club called Baliza in Raffles Boulevard at around 6am on March 4, 2018, his date threw up. While her friend was looking after her, Imran grabbed and kissed the victim on the lips. But she still got into his car, as she did not want to leave her friend alone with him. After his date left the car at her destination, Imran told the victim to sit in the front passenger seat. He molested her again as they were travelling along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6. The victim got out of the car "in a frenzy" when Imran stopped by the roadside to relieve himself. More on this topic Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories Related Story Probation for youth who molested 7-year-old girl and filmed himself committing offence DPP Chee said the "terrified" victim "walked barefooted to (her friend's block of flats) for about 1½ km. In the victim's haste, she left her high-heeled shoes in the accused's car". She arrived at the void deck at 7.17am and waited until around 8am before taking a taxi home. Although she told her sister about her ordeal, she waited 16 days to make a police report. DPP Chee said she was initially afraid of Imran. The court heard that since the incident, the victim "had nightmares of people raping her and there was once she dreamt that she committed suicide". "To this day, it is clear the victim is still traumatised by her ordeal, as she appeared visibly upset and broke down four times while testifying in court," the DPP added. Imran, who was represented by lawyer Revi Shanker, denied molesting the woman. He claimed she had consumed amphetamine and was acting "strangely", shouting at strangers as the night wore on. He said he intends to appeal against his conviction and sentence. His bail was set at $15,000 on Friday. For each count of molestation, an offender can be jailed up to two years and fined or caned.
SINGAPORE - A domestic helper hit her employer's one-month-old baby three times on his back to "vent her stress". Indonesian Lana Ngizatul Mona, 26, was caught after the infant's mother viewed a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident. The baby boy sustained a bruise on his right shoulder as a result of the incident. Lana was sentenced on Wednesday (Oct 21) to nine months' jail after pleading guilty to one count of ill-treating the baby, who cannot be named owing to a gag order. The child's mother had employed Lana, who started working at the woman's flat near Hougang on Feb 26. Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Pei Wei told the court the maid was tasked to care for her employer's four children and perform general household chores. The mother was in her bedroom at around 7.30am on April 30 when she heard the baby crying loudly in the living room. She checked the CCTV footage and saw Lana hitting her son's back three times. The DPP added: "In the CCTV footage, the accused is seen hitting the victim on the back with her wrist. The victim cried immediately. "The accused was next seen hitting the victim on the back with her fist twice, causing the victim to cry again. All three blows were forceful and had audible impact." Lana later told investigators that she had hit the infant due to stress. More on this topic Related Story 27 years' jail for parents of 5-year-old boy who was scalded with hot water, confined in cage before his death Related Story Maid who abused child and lied about it jailed 6 months Her employer alerted the police that morning and the child was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital. On Wednesday, DPP Tan urged District Judge Salina Ishak to sentence Lana to at least nine months' jail. The prosecutor said: "The victim was only one month old at the material time and was absolutely defenceless against the offender. "He was unable to run away from the offender and his only means of expressing his distress at her blows was to cry." For ill-treating a child, an offender can be jailed for up to eight years and fined up to $8,000. More on this topic Related Story Slight fall in child abuse last year to 1,088 cases, but physical abuse spikes to 10-year high Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories
SINGAPORE - A 20-year-old man was sentenced on Thursday (Oct 15) to 12 months at a Reformative Training Centre (RTC) for sexually assaulting his female cousin on multiple occasions between 2016 and 2019. He first molested his cousin in an apartment unit when she was 10 and he was 15. He continued to molest her on multiple occasions throughout the years, the last time being in May last year, when the man was 19 and the victim was 13. The man cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the victim's identity. The court heard that on multiple occasions, he would lock himself in a bedroom with the victim and instruct her to lie down on a mattress. He would then remove her shorts and underwear and proceed to rub his exposed genitals against her lower body and buttocks. The first time he assaulted his cousin, he was paired with her during a game of "hide-and-seek", during which he isolated her from the others they were playing with. He then locked her in a bedroom and proceeded to molest her. Most pertinently, in May last year, the accused dragged the victim - then 13 - out of the shower she was in. Despite the victim's efforts to rebuff his advances, he made her lie down on a bed and he proceeded to rub his exposed genitals against hers for around two minutes. Deputy Public Prosecutor Kor Zhen Hong noted that the accused and the victim's families shared a "close relationship", and that the victim did not confide in anyone as she was "afraid of spoiling the relationship between their families". DPP Kor added that the victim did not put up a struggle, as she respected him and "did not wish to upset him". This pattern of sexual abuse finally came to light in late May last year, when the victim's elder brother noticed that the accused and the victim were frequently spending time together in a locked bedroom. More on this topic Related Story Paedophile, 22, gets jail, caning for molesting sister when she was 5 and raping her at age 12 Related Story Man gets 14 months' jail and 2 strokes of the cane for molesting teenage stepdaughter Related Story Bus driver admits to molesting stepdaughter multiple times over more than 20 years He conveyed his concerns to their mother, who questioned the victim. The girl then revealed that she had been a victim of her cousin's sexual advances since 2016. A police report was finally lodged on May 30, 2019 at the Hougang Neighbourhood Police Centre, where the victim told officers that she had been "sexually assaulted". DPP Kor asked that the man be sentenced to time in an RTC, rather than given probation, as the offences had been committed over an extended period of four years. "The age gap between the accused and the victim was quite significant, and we recommend that a structured environment such as the RTC would reduce his risk of re-offending," DPP Kor said. The man was sentenced based on three proceeded charges of outrage of modesty. The first one took place between May and June 2016, the second between November and December 2018, and the third one occurred in May 2019. Four other charges of outrage of modesty were taken into consideration in the man's sentencing. More on this topic Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories District Judge May Mesenas told the man prior to his sentencing that she hoped the victim would be able to "overcome and deal with what you have done to her". "I hope that after your time in RTC you will make sure that this does not happen to anyone else," Judge Mesenas said. Judge Mesenas also called on the Ministry of Social and Family Development to locate and contact the victim to follow-up with the necessary counselling. The court heard that the victim now lives with her mother - who has since remarried - and that there has been no contact between her and her cousin since the police report was made. "I would like to ask for the MSF to reach out to the victim so that the after-effects and consequences of what has occurred do not stay with her and manifest in other consequences for her down the road," Judge Mesenas said.