An employment agent who was taking a domestic worker to her new employer’s house ended up at the wrong address, and seized the opportunity to rape the woman at a multi-storey carpark.
On Aug 29, the 37-year-old man was sentenced to 12 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane by the High Court after he pleaded guilty to a charge of rape for the incident on Jan 24, 2022.
Two other charges, one for molesting the same victim and one for molesting another domestic worker in September 2021, were taken into consideration during sentencing.
The Malaysian cannot be named, owing to a gag order to protect the victims’ identities.
At the time, he worked as a senior sales adviser at an employment agency.
The rape victim, who was then 24, arrived in Singapore for the first time on Jan 12, 2022. The Indonesian was introduced to the man on Jan 21.
On Jan 24, she arrived at the agency’s office before heading to her employer’s house.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Delicia Tan told the court that in the office, the man shouted at the woman for not following him into a room.
At about 2.30pm, he booked a private-hire car to take her to her employer’s house, but entered the wrong address as the destination.
While waiting for the car, he asked the woman about her late husband. He also asked her to be his girlfriend, but she declined.
The car arrived a short while later and dropped them off at the destination.
The man realised that they were at the wrong location because they were in a Housing Board estate, and the employer lived in a landed house.
After sending a message to the employer’s wife to confirm the address, the man told the helper that he had a wife in Malaysia, but had not seen her for a long time due to Covid-19 restrictions.
He told her to follow him, and she complied.
DPP Tan said he wanted to take her to a quiet place as he was wearing the agency’s uniform, and did not want people to see him behave inappropriately with the victim.
He walked to another block of flats, took a lift to a higher floor, and hugged the victim after they exited the lift.
When they returned to the ground floor, he took her to a nearby multi-storey carpark at about 3.50pm.
He took her to a staircase and told her that he wanted sex, but she gave an excuse to avoid having sex with him. He then forced her to perform oral sex on him.
After the rape, he kissed her and scolded her for not kissing him properly.
They left the carpark at about 4pm, and he gave her $5 to buy herself a drink.
After seeing a message from the employer’s wife confirming the address – sent at about 3.45pm – the man booked another ride to the house.
During the journey, he held the victim’s hand and told her that he would take her out for food on her day off but she kept quiet.
When they arrived at the house, he told the employer’s wife that he would take the victim out on her day off for training.
Later that evening, when the employer’s wife told the helper that the man would take her out for “training”, the victim cried and recounted what had happened earlier that day.
The next day, the 65-year-old woman took the helper to make a police report. The man was arrested the following day.
DPP Tan sought a sentence of 12 to 14 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane, noting that the man had sexually exploited two domestic workers entrusted in his care.
She noted that the victim was particularly vulnerable as she had just arrived in the country.
The prosecutor argued that the man had created an opportunity to spend more time alone with the victim and searched for an appropriate location to sexually exploit her.
DPP Tan noted that upon realising they were at the wrong location, the man could have easily booked another ride as he had the employer’s address with him.
She added that the incident where he shouted at the helper at the office had instilled fear in the victim.
The man’s lawyer, Mr Nakoorsha A.K., argued that there was minimal planning, if any.
He argued that the man had immediately messaged the employer’s wife after realising they were at the wrong place.
Selina Lum for The Straits Times
