A man who had romantic feelings for a woman he knew from secondary school and claimed to be a medium, performing fake rituals to eliminate “ghosts” following her, has been sentenced to 18 years, 11 months, and three weeks in jail, along with 16 strokes of the cane for the offenses in 2019.
According to a report from TODAY (Sept 7), the 23-year-old man was sentenced to 18 years, 11 months, and three weeks’ jail, along with 16 strokes of the cane for the offenses in 2019.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by penetration. Four charges involving sexual offenses were considered for sentencing.
To safeguard the woman’s identity, both the victim and the accused remain unnamed. An IQ test conducted by the Institute of Mental Health indicated that the woman’s adaptive living skills were below average.
BACKSTORY
They first met during secondary school, with the victim affectionately calling the accused “kor,” meaning older brother. Their friendship was revived in 2019 when the accused reached out to the victim on Facebook. He regularly provided transportation to and from her workplace and shared meals with her and a mutual friend.
Despite his romantic feelings, she did not reciprocate them because she was still interested in an ex-boyfriend.
God of Chang E’s rabbit
Before the crimes occurred, the accused told the victim that he had been assisting at a temple and was a medium or “God of Chang E’s rabbit,” as disclosed in court. He took her to the temple on several occasions.
Sometime in mid-2019, while at the victim’s residence, the man claimed that spirits were following her and her sister, and that their house was haunted.
“The accused assured (her) that as a medium, he could perform consecration rituals to get rid of the ghosts and ensure that no harm would come to the victim and her sister,” the prosecution informed the court according to report.
These “rituals” were conducted at either his or her house, during which he provided the victim with amulets and talismans. Initially, the man performed the rituals with the victim fully clothed. Eventually, he instructed her to remove her clothes and drew talismans on her body.
Under the guise of performing rituals, he sexually assaulted her between July 22 and July 27, 2019, despite her reluctance, as he convinced her that the acts were necessary.
POLICE REPORT
Following an incident on July 27, 2019, the victim confided in her friends about the rituals and was advised to file a police report. She did so two days later.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sruthi Boppana sought a sentence of 17 to 23 years in jail, along with 16 strokes of the cane, citing the accused’s premeditation and abuse of trust as aggravating factors. “By representing himself as a temple medium capable of expelling ghosts and spirits that followed her and her sister, the accused sexually exploited the victim at his discretion,” said Ms. Boppana.
“The accused had no qualms about capitalizing on the victim’s naivety and deceiving her into believing that he needed to perform these sexual acts to prevent harm from befalling her or her sister.”
IMPREGNATED
The man presented himself as a spiritual leader, and the victim placed her trust in him, but he took advantage of her vulnerability. He knew that she had no intention of being with him, but he intended to impregnate her.
The man, represented by lawyers Cheryl Sim and Kalaithasan Karuppaya, argued for a sentence of up to 16 years in jail and 14 strokes of the cane.
Ms. Sim stated that the man deeply regretted his actions and had written an apology letter to the victim expressing his remorse. The man, who is single and resides with his parents, is a first-time offender who pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, according to the defense lawyer.
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“He is working diligently as a valet driver after being terminated from his previous job,” the man’s lawyer stated.
After the sentencing, Mr. Kalaithasan requested permission for the man to celebrate his birthday during the last week of September before commencing his sentence, as he would be “away for a significant number of years.” Justice Pang Khang Chau granted the request.
For rape, the man could have been sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in jail, along with a fine or caning. For sexual assault by penetration, he could have been sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in jail, along with a fine or caning.
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