A former actor from the comedy channel Wah!Banana, Lev Panfilov, was found guilty on Friday, March 21, of raping a woman he met on the dating app Tinder.
The High Court judge convicted Panfilov, a Singapore permanent resident originally from Russia, on all four charges he claimed trial to, which include rape, sexual assault by penetration, and molest, according to Channel News Asia.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CASE
- Lev Panfilov, a former actor at Wah!Banana, was convicted of rape and sexual assault against a woman he met on Tinder, facing four charges in Singapore’s High Court.
- Justice Pang Khang Chau praised the victim’s testimony as “unusually convincing,” despite acknowledging minor inconsistencies that did not undermine her overall credibility during the trial.
- The victim initially delayed seeking medical help and reporting the incident due to fear of disbelief and trauma from explaining her experience to police.
- Panfilov’s defense claimed the encounter was consensual, arguing that the victim initiated sexual contact, but the court found his testimony less credible compared to the victim’s
- The sentencing for Lev Panfilov will occur at a later date following his conviction on March 21, 2023, for serious sexual offenses.
DETAILS OF THE CASE
Due to a gag order protecting her identity, the victim cannot be named. In delivering the guilty verdict, Justice Pang Khang Chau described the victim as an “unusually convincing” witness, although he acknowledged that her testimony had its challenges.
Justice Pang pointed out several points raised by the defense in an attempt to demonstrate inconsistencies in the victim’s account.
One of these was the fact that the victim had provided Panfilov with her home address so he could call a private-hire vehicle to take her home after the incident.
Previously, as per the prosecution’s case, the woman consented to go to the unit shared by Panfilov and his roommates. They spent time watching YouTube videos featuring comedians, discussing comedic principles, and collaborating on the woman’s script in his bedroom.
However, after a while, the accused revealed his true nature, and the pretense of civility he had maintained throughout the evening fell apart, stated Ms. Boppana.
According to the prosecution, Panfilov then compelled a kiss from the victim, followed by molestation, sexual assault, and rape. This occurred despite the woman’s “repeated pleas for him to stop” and his awareness that she did not consent to the sexual acts, according to the prosecution.
After the assault concluded, Panfilov informed the woman that she could leave and arranged a private hire vehicle for her to return home.
Additionally, she had continued to respond to his text messages and took three days to seek medical attention after experiencing pain following the assault.
Another alleged inconsistency involved her statements to a doctor, where she mentioned screaming during the incident but later claimed she wanted to scream but did not or could not.
The victim also made what was described as a “seemingly strange” request for a memo of her injuries to show to Panfilov’s family, which she could not recall in court, as per the report.
However, Justice Pang concluded that there were reasonable explanations for most of these difficulties, and the remaining inconsistencies were minor and did not undermine the victim’s overall credibility.
Conversely, Justice Pang deemed Panfilov to be an incredible witness, noting that the irregularities in his evidence were indicative of his attempt to distance himself from the events, albeit unsuccessfully.
Dressed in a purple prison jumpsuit, Panfilov bowed his head as the verdict was read and frequently glanced at his relatives in the gallery.
The prosecution’s case revealed that Panfilov sexually assaulted the victim in his room on January 12, 2021, following a meet-up at a Wine Connection restaurant earlier that day.
The victim, a model-actress and aspiring comedy scriptwriter, sought Panfilov’s assistance with her scriptwriting.
The two had started working on the script at the restaurant before continuing at Panfilov’s residence. While watching comedians on YouTube in his room, Panfilov suddenly kissed the victim and subsequently sexually assaulted her.
In the days following the incident, the victim reported feelings of depression but refrained from informing her mother or sister out of concern for their well-being, the report added.
Ultimately, she decided to see a doctor due to pain in her vaginal area and lower abdomen, who advised her to lodge a police report.
On January 16, 2021, the victim spoke with several police officers but hesitated to file a report, fearing she would not be believed and that others would discover the incident.
Feeling traumatized by the prospect of explaining what had occurred, she eventually filed a police report on January 18, 2021, after confiding in her mother.
The defense argued that the victim had initiated the sexual encounter and that it progressed to consensual sex. Sentencing for Panfilov will take place at a later date.
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