A Chinese national, Hu Guisheng, 39, was sentenced to six days’ jail on October 22 after admitting to a charge of outrage of modesty at Marina Bay Sands (MBS).
According to ST, Hu, who was visiting Singapore on a social visit pass, had been staying at MBS with his wife and friends when the incident took place in the early hours of March 8. They had spent the night at Ce La Vi, a club on the 57th floor, and left the venue at 1.34am to take the lift down.
While waiting for the lift, the victim—whose identity is protected under a gag order—was also present. CCTV footage shown in court depicted Hu holding his wife’s hand as they entered the lift together.
When the lift reached Level 1, the victim courteously held the door open for other passengers to exit first. Hu then waited until everyone had stepped out, moved beside the victim, glanced at her buttocks, and molested her as he exited.
Startled, the victim immediately tried to stop him before he could leave with his wife and friends. She then sought help from hotel security, who detained Hu in the lift lobby. He was arrested at 2.50am and released on bail around 2pm the same day.
Court documents did not indicate whether Hu was intoxicated at the time of the offence.
PROSECUTION AND DEFENCE ARGUMENTS
The prosecution requested a one- to three-week jail term, emphasizing that the act involved sexual exploitation since Hu had touched the victim’s buttocks—considered more intrusive than contact with less private areas such as limbs. The victim was said to be shocked and distressed following the assault.
Hu’s defence lawyer, Mr Peter Ong from Peter Ong Law Corporation, sought a fine instead of imprisonment, citing Hu’s remorse and his offer of $5,000 in compensation to the victim, which she rejected.
Ong also mentioned that Hu’s business had suffered severe financial losses, nearly collapsing as a result of the case. He described this as a form of punishment in itself.
The prosecutor, however, countered that any financial impact Hu faced was self-inflicted and should not reduce his culpability.
Court’s DecisionIn her judgment, District Judge Janet Wang agreed with the prosecution that there was a deliberate element and a degree of sexual exploitation in Hu’s conduct. She highlighted that Hu waited for everyone else to exit before acting, and the contact was not merely fleeting, implying a clear use of criminal force.
For outrage of modesty, the law allows a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment, a fine, caning, or a combination of these punishments.
Image from google for illustration
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