20-year-old youth who raped a schoolmate is sentenced to prison and corporal punishment after appeal by the public prosecutor

SINGAPORE – A 20-year-old youth who raped his schoolmate while her then-boyfriend held her down was sentenced to eight years in prison and three strokes of the cane on September 6 after prosecutors appealed against his original sentence to a reformatory.

The rape took place on the floor of a public toilet in June 2020, when he was 16, the girl was 14 and the friend was 22.

The Court of Appeal allowed the prosecution's appeal, finding that in the case of a 14-year-old rape by a 16-year-old, the court may normally still consider a rehabilitation sentence due to the boy's age.

“But the defendant was no ordinary 16-year-old,” said the court, which consisted of judges Tay Yong Kwang, Steven Chong and Debbie Ong.

The court stated that his numerous crimes and his complete disregard for the law showed that rehabilitation was not the best option in this case.

The defendant was between 13 and 16 years old when he stole bicycles, personal mobility devices and batteries for such devices. After being charged with more than 20 thefts and released on bail on June 11, 2020, he was arrested again for theft.

On June 22, 2020, he was released on higher bail and warned that he would not be offered bail if he committed further crimes. Undeterred, he committed the rape shortly after his second arrest.

The victim was his schoolmate and his girlfriend's best friend.

On June 27, 2020, the victim agreed to go out for drinks with her boyfriend after he threatened to find other girls if she refused. The pair headed to Admiralty Park with a bottle of whiskey and set up a live stream of their drinking session at a playground.

The defendant happened to notice the live stream and eventually met them in the park.

After the victim vomited and lay on the floor, the teenager and the girl's boyfriend carried her to a disabled toilet.

Her boyfriend took off her jacket and T-shirt and the defendant held the jacket in front of her face while the boyfriend performed a sexual act on her.

The boyfriend then held the victim while the defendant raped her.

After the attack, she asked her boyfriend why he did not save her. He then accused her of having sex with the accused and an argument broke out between them.

The victim finally separated from her boyfriend in September 2020.

The rape only came to light on February 17, 2021, when the victim told her teacher about the assault.