In a disturbing case that unfolded after a night of heavy drinking, a 39-year-old Filipino man faced sentencing on January 18 for attempting to rape his intoxicated female friend.
The incident, which took place in 2019, resulted in a four-year-and-six-month jail term along with three strokes of the cane for the offender, who cannot be named due to a gag order protecting the victim’s identity, according to The Straits Times.
What Happened?
The incident took place on 1 April 2019. The group, originally friends from the Philippines, had relocated to Singapore for work. They went out for drinks at a bar, with the accused, the victim, and their respective partners.
The night took a dark turn when, in an intoxicated state, the accused and the victim boarded a taxi together, leaving their partners to find another cab. During the taxi ride to the man’s home, he took advantage of the victim’s incapacitated state, placing her hand on his private parts before groping and molesting her throughout the journey.
Upon reaching his apartment, the accused further violated the victim’s trust by attempting to rape her. Despite her weakened state, the victim resisted his advances, crossing her legs to prevent the assault. The man eventually desisted, leaving the room after failing to carry out his heinous act.
The gravity of the situation intensified when the victim’s boyfriend unexpectedly arrived at the apartment, prompting him to take her back to their home.
The victim, disturbed by the incident, confided in her friends and sought help from the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), a women’s support group. She experienced nightmares and panic attacks for several months. Seeking recourse, she attended a counseling session on May 14, 2019, before eventually filing a police report on May 27, 2019.
Despite the victim’s initial efforts to seek help, she discontinued counseling sessions by July 2019 due to work commitments. The offender, now convicted, was granted bail of $50,000 on January 18, with an order to surrender himself at the State Courts on February 13 to commence serving his sentence.
In the State Courts on Monday (Jan 15), the accused pleaded guilty to attempted rape, with two charges for molestation taken into consideration. The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Emily Koh and Muhamad Imaduddian, sought a sentence of five years’ jail and six strokes of the cane.