A Bangladeshi man, Miah Suzon, was sentenced to five years and nine months’ jail with four strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a domestic helper while carrying out painting works at a flat.
The 35-year-old offered painting services to the victim’s employers for S$1,300 and made inappropriate comments towards her before assaulting her on multiple occasions.
According to the report, Miah entered a bedroom where the helper was folding clothes and touched her inappropriately, before later grabbing her waist and stomach, kissing her neck, and exposing her chest area. He also sexually assaulted her when she was washing clothes in the bathroom.
WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY :
The 26-year-old domestic helper was hired by the son of an elderly woman to care for her in the three-bedroom apartment.
During the second week of August 2022, Miah, the painter, offered painting services to the employers for S$1,300 & he returned on September 3 to shift the furniture before beginning the painting works.
While in the kitchen, Miah made a disturbing comment to the helper, saying, “I want to eat you.” Shocked by his words, the helper ignored him and showed her disgust. Before leaving, Miah asked for the helper’s phone number, but she remained silent, according to the report.
The events of September 11 began with Miah arriving at the flat to paint. While the homeowner was out purchasing additional paint, Miah took advantage of the situation.
He entered a bedroom where the helper was folding clothes and placed his hands on her shoulders, making her uncomfortable. She elbowed him and moved to the living room next to an elderly woman watching television.
Miah followed her, continuing to make unwanted advances. He touched her inappropriately, kissed her neck, and attempted to prevent her from screaming for help. The helper managed to push him away and went to another room to clean.
But Miah followed her again, hugging her from behind and attempting to kiss her cheek.
As per the report, he then exposed her chest area and touched her inappropriately before she was able to break free from his grasp. When the helper went to the bathroom to wash clothes, Miah approached her from the back and sexually assaulted her. She pushed him away and he left for the day.
Not long after, she went to another room to remove painting stains when out of the blue, Miah suddenly hugged her from behind.
When the helper stood up to ask Miah what he wanted, he simply smiled at her and then attempted to kiss her on the right cheek. As she tried to leave the room, Miah grabbed her shirt collar from behind and hugged her abdomen with his right hand. He then pulled up her shirt and bra, exposing her chest and touching her inappropriately.
The helper managed to break free by elbowing him and causing him to fall to the floor before she quickly exited the room. She went to the kitchen bathroom to wash clothes and while bending over, she saw Miah approaching from behind. He proceeded to slide his hand into her shorts and sexually assault her.
The helper pushed Miah away and demanded that he leave. After he was gone, she showered twice feeling disgusted by his actions. She suffered redness and body aches around her waist area, as well as pain in her private parts, the report added.
The court documents did not reveal how Miah’s offenses were brought to light.
SENTENCING :
The prosecutors recommended a prison sentence ranging from five to six years, along with four strokes of the cane, for Miah. They argued that he deliberately and persistently pursued the victim, following her around the flat and molesting her at every opportunity.
DPP Heng stated that each violation only made Miah more bold, leading to the most invasive act. “Each transgression only emboldened him and this eventually culminated into the most intrusive act,” said DPP Heng as per the report..
The prosecution also pointed out that the victim was vulnerable as she was in a foreign country and may have been afraid that reporting the crime would harm her job prospects.
The prosecutors highlighted that the victim suffered psychological harm from the ordeal, experiencing flashbacks and a deep fear of men. The maximum penalty for sexual assault is imprisonment for up to 20 years, a fine, or caning.
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