67-year-old man stands trial for raping maid in family absence

SINGAPORE: A 67-year-old man appeared in the High Court on Tuesday (July 9) on charges of raping his family’s then 35-year-old domestic helper after offering her wine.

The Singaporean man, who cannot be named due to a court-imposed news blackout, denies five charges, including rape, sexual assault and outrage of modesty.

The prosecution assumes that the maid was alone at home with the defendant on the night of January 5, 2020. The rest of the family was abroad.

According to the indictment, the defendant invited the maid to watch television with him and offered her wine. He also gave her “certain nutritional supplement injections,” said deputy public prosecutors James Chew, Tin Shu Min and Yap Jia Jun.

The man administered the injections to the maid on a sofa in the living room before allegedly beginning his sexual assault on her.

He is said to have raped and sexually abused the woman over a period of about half an hour.

The woman did not consent to any of the acts, but was unable to defend herself because she felt too dizzy and weak from consuming the drugs, prosecutors said.

The man then carried the woman back to her bedroom and laid her on the bed.

After waking up around 4 a.m. the next morning, the woman called her sister in despair. When they returned home on January 8, 2020, she told her employer what had happened.

A video clip recording part of the conversation will be part of the prosecution’s evidence.

The woman was taken to the police on January 9, 2020 to report the incident before being examined by a doctor who will testify as a witness in the trial.

The public prosecutor stated in its opening statement that it would present evidence from the victim regarding the course of the crimes.

They will also consider evidence from the victim’s sister, video recordings of the assault from the living room, and confessions made by the defendant in videotaped interviews.

“In particular, the video surveillance footage from the living room will show that the defendant performed the sexual acts on the victim when she was in a very weak and unresponsive state and that the acts were not consensual,” prosecutors said.

They said they would also show how the defendant intentionally moved the camera in the victim’s bedroom away from the bed.

The prosecution will also call on doctors from Changi General Hospital who examined the accused for erectile dysfunction to prove that it was possible that he raped her despite the condition.

The trial took place on Tuesday behind closed doors and behind closed doors, with the victim due to take the stand.

The man is not represented.

If convicted of rape or sexual assault by penetration, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine.

He could face a prison sentence of up to two years and a fine for violating decency.

Since the victim is a domestic worker, the man could face a penalty of up to twice the amount.

Since he is over 50, he cannot be caned.