A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer was sentenced to a year and three months’ jail on August 6 after being convicted of three molestation charges related to incidents involving his female subordinate.
According to the report, District Judge Eddy Tham delivered the verdict following a trial.
The details about the woman involved and the locations of the offences cannot be disclosed due to a gag order intended to protect her identity. Consequently, The Straits Times has refrained from revealing specifics about the offender to prevent any possible identification of the victim.
The SCDF issued a statement in 2023 confirming that the officer has been suspended on half-pay since January that year.
The agency also stated that counselling had been provided to the victim.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Santhra Aiyyasamy, during her submissions, highlighted that the accused was the victim’s supervisor and that they shared a close working relationship, exchanging personal information and work-related messages.
As per the report, she noted that the pair communicated via text messages involving terms like “hugs” and “kisses.”
The court heard that on August 17, 2021, the man was at their workplace when he passed the victim some iced coffee and asked for a hug, then proceeded to give her a full hug with his hands around her shoulders.
Despite the victim’s prior disclosures to female colleagues about the accused’s touchy behaviour, she chose to remain close to him out of fear that questioning or confronting him might jeopardize her position or support from her superior.
Further incidents occurred on August 23, 2021, when the man again requested a hug. During this encounter, he groped her chest, leaving her feeling shocked.
The victim did not react to the assault but continued to maintain her professionalism, leaving the premises afterward. She later confided in colleagues, with four confirming they had experienced similar accidental touching from the accused.
On August 31, 2021, the victim formally reported the misconduct to her workplace commander.
The commander indicated he would investigate and consider whether to report the matter before or after an upcoming audit. He also advised her not to be alone with the offender until an official report was lodged.
The offences continued, with the victim recounting that on September 3, 2021, the accused molested her again while they were attending to a female patient at her home. She was checking the patient’s vital signs when the incident occurred.
Feeling ashamed and taken advantage of once more, the victim shared what happened with a male colleague present at the scene, trying to suppress her tears.
Following these incidents, she informed her workplace commander that she would be unavailable for her duties and requested some time off.
She explained she was “not able to pull through” before the upcoming audit, and her supervisor advised her to take a few days’ leave.
An investigation was launched shortly thereafter, and the police were alerted in October 2021.
The accused was arrested in February 2023. He plans to appeal his conviction and sentence, and his bail has been set at $20,000.
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