22-year-old Chinese national, Zhang Lutian, pleaded guilty to providing false information to a public servant and was sentenced to 5 weeks imprisonment yesterday (2 October).
She had lied about being raped thrice by her ex-boyfriend in order to get back at him following a fight, according to The Straits Times.
What happened?
In April 2021, Zhang Lutian met her former partner on the WeChat messaging platform. Their romantic involvement began in August of the same year, eventually leading to cohabitation at the man’s residence.
The evening of March 9, 2022, witnessed a protracted dispute between the couple, which extended well into the midnight hours, escalating tensions.
At precisely 12:38 am on March 10, 2022, Zhang initiated a call to law enforcement, alleging harm and bleeding inflicted by her former boyfriend.
Responding promptly to the distress call, police officers arrived at the residence. Zhang conveyed to two officers her claim of being a victim of assault by her ex-boyfriend.
Given the gravity of the accusation, a substantial police presence was dispatched to the scene, consisting of 17 officers, including five investigators and four forensic experts.
By 6:30 am that same day, Zhang provided a statement at the Police Cantonment Complex, falsely asserting that her ex-boyfriend had not only physically assaulted her but also raped her on three separate occasions during their relationship.
Zhang reiterated these untrue allegations to the medical officer during her examination.
Consequently, her ex-boyfriend was subjected to a police interview, had his mobile phones confiscated, and had his passport held by authorities.
Additionally, he was required to apply for a special pass to maintain his stay in Singapore. It is worth noting that court documents did not disclose the ex-boyfriend’s nationality or age.
Over a month later, on April 20, 2022, Zhang admitted to fabricating her story to law enforcement and retracted her false statements.