Man arrested for attempted rape and sexual assault of domestic worker

SINGAPORE – A man repeatedly attempted to rape his domestic helper while his wife was away and even bought condoms for this purpose.

Within a month in 2019, the 68-year-old man attempted to rape the 27-year-old Indonesian woman twice, but failed because he suffered from erectile dysfunction. He then sexually abused her repeatedly.

The man was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison on Monday (October 18) after pleading guilty to one count each of attempted rape and sexual abuse of the assistant. A further six counts, including attempted rape, sexual harassment and sexual abuse by penetration, were taken into account in the sentencing.

Due to a news blackout to protect her identity, her name cannot be mentioned.

The maid started working for the man on May 9, 2019, on her first assignment in Singapore. She was entrusted with general housework and was expected to look after the man’s granddaughter when the girl came to visit.

She slept on a mattress in a bedroom while the woman and the man shared the master bedroom. The man instructed her not to lock the bedroom door because the man’s wife had to get her things from the room.

The victim returned to her room after showering with a towel wrapped around her lower body because she had forgotten to take her pants with her to the toilet.

Man bought condoms in preparation

On June 7, 2019, the man bought several condoms because he wanted to have sexual intercourse with the victim.

That day, the victim returned to her room after showering with a towel wrapped around her lower body because she had forgotten to take her pants with her to the toilet.

She passed by her employer, who immediately returned to his room to get a condom. He wanted to have sex with her while his wife was not at home.

While the victim was changing in her room, the man knocked on her door. The maid thought her employer needed something urgently, opened the door and the man came in. He told her she smelled good before hugging her.

The maid tried to push her employer away, but the man kissed her on the neck and pushed her body down with her arms behind her back. Then the man took the condom from his pocket and tried to rape the maid, but due to his erectile dysfunction, he was unable to do so. Instead, he sexually abused her.

The maid was finally able to free herself and hid in the toilet until the man returned to his bedroom.

The maid thought the incident was an isolated incident and did not report it to anyone. She remained silent because she had to support her family financially. However, she decided to lock her bedroom door at night from then on, even though she was forbidden to do so.

The man was not fazed by this. One night he took a spare key from the storage room and used it to enter the maid’s room. He tried in vain to rape her again before sexually abusing her.

Chambermaid was able to film incident

Unable to bear the assaults any longer, the maid decided to seek help from a friend, a colleague from Singapore who also works as a domestic helper, on 29 June 2019. The friend gave her the contact details of an employee of the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE), adding that the victim needed evidence of the sexual assault.

The victim was hesitant to report the incident because she feared it would upset the man’s wife, who had treated her kindly. The maid also hoped that the man would stop his attacks.

On July 1, 2019, the domestic worker felt stomach discomfort and decided to apply medicated oil and rest in her room. The man, who was the only other person in the house, came in as the domestic worker was lying on her mattress and asked her if she needed to see a doctor.

The maid refused to see a doctor, so the man offered to rub her with medicinal oil. The maid refused, but the man then held her down and sexually abused her.

At this point, the maid remembered her friend’s advice and turned on her cell phone to film the assault. She was able to capture part of the incident by placing the phone next to the mattress. She then fled to the bathroom to avoid the man’s advances.

Later that afternoon, the man entered her room again to ask if she needed medication, but continued to abuse her, promising he would stop before he left.

The housekeeper called the CDE employee and gave him the video she had taken. The police were called and the man was arrested. He was sent for an erection and impotence test and it was determined that he was likely suffering from vascular erectile dysfunction.

Defense presents witness statements on the defendant’s good character

The man’s lawyers, Sunil Sudheesan and Diana Ngiam, argued that the man’s crimes were opportunistic rather than deliberate, describing him as an “old man with a good criminal record” whose “uncharacteristic behaviour” was triggered by circumstances.

“He undoubtedly takes responsibility for these acts. But it is clear to me that this defendant has behaved completely out of character during this bizarre month,” said Sudheesan, who assured that his client would not reoffend.

Sudheesan also submitted testimonials testifying to the man’s kindness towards previous domestic helpers whom he helped with utmost care. He ensured that they stayed in touch with their families and sought the cheapest mobile phone plans for them. One of the domestic helpers even expressed interest in working for the family again.

The prosecution disputed the view that these were opportunistic crimes, pointing out that the man had taken calculated steps to find opportunities when he was alone with the victim.

In handing down the verdict, Judge Pang Khang Chau said the facts disclosed showed a sufficient degree of premeditation to constitute a significant aggravating circumstance.

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