Law Society V-P Chia Boon Teck posts questions about victim in Lev Panfilov rape case
UPDATE (25 March, 12pm): Mr Chia Boon Teck has resigned as Vice-President and council member of the Law Society of Singapore, it said in a statement posted on LinkedIn.
This comes after Law Society President Lisa Sam asked him to resign earlier in the day.
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The Vice-President of Singapore’s Law Society has come under fire for remarks he made on a rape case involving TikToker Lev Panfilov.
In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, senior lawyer Chia Boon Teck said he had “so many questions” about the case — mainly about the victim.
Source: Chia Wong Chambers LLC
Law Society V-P cynically asks whether rape victim was ‘awake’
According to screenshots of his post, Mr Chia, who is the co-managing director of law firm Chia Wong Chambers, first noted that the victim met Panfilov over Tinder.
He cynically asked:
What’s Tinder well known for? It ain’t no LinkedIn.
On the four charges that Panfilov was convicted on, including rape and sexual assault via penetration, the lawyer then exclaimed:
Wow. Was she awake throughout the marathon?
After noting that the victim went to Panfilov’s bedroom, he expressed incredulity, asking whether the rapist’s flatmates could testify to what “sounds” they heard from his room.
He then moved on to the fact that the victim is a then 30-year-old actress and model, quipping:
So not exactly a babe in the woods?
Mr Chia then questioned why the victim decided to get advice on script-writing “at that late hour on the bed of a Russian man she just met on Tinder”.
Source: Lev Panfilov on Instagram
Referring to the fact that the victim said “no”, he also queried how “no” could have led to four charges.
‘Sounds rather like a date?’: Lawyer
According to the newspaper report on the case, Panfilov booked a Gojek ride for the victim after the rape.
Mr Chia thus remarked:
That sounds rather like a date?
The victim reportedly gave Panfilov her address because she just wanted to go home and would have given anything he wanted. To this, the lawyer enquired:
Out of fear or affection? If fear, fear of what?
He then reacted with disbelief to the fact that the victim was not encouraged to make a police report due to articles about low conviction rates for sexual assault, asking:
Seriously? What articles? Were the articles even talking about Singapore?
Finally, he also questioned how Panfilov’s inconsistent testimonies to the police, video interviews and court could have sunk his case.
Lawyer advises people to ‘think through’ these issues before dates
Mr Chia concluded that “people who indulge in one-night stands may want to take note” of these questions.
This is to “protect themselves from attack, or accusations of attack”, he said.
He also advised both men and women to “think through” the above issues the next time they go on a date and before making a police report, as “these are the issues you would have to explain in court”.
Other lawyers express outrage
Mr Chia’s post elicited an uproar over social media, including from his fellow lawyers.
One of them, TSMP Law Corporation joint managing partner Stefanie Yuen Thio, said on LinkedIn that she was “appalled” at his attitude.
This was especially since he is an office bearer of the Law Society, she added.
She asked whether Mr Chia was implying that she brought this on herself or consented, adding:
Victim shaming goes against what the Courts have actually said is appropriate cross examination.
Ms Thio called on him to provide an acceptable explanation for his words or step down from his Law Society position.
In the comments on her post, several expressed shock and disgust at the remarks and were grateful to her for calling him out on them.
Stop victim-blaming: AWARE
On Monday (24 March) morning, the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) Singapore waded into the controversy in a Facebook post.
The advocacy group noted the “mocking tone” of Mr Chia’s commentary, but worse still was the fact that the victim was publicly doubted, dissected, and discredited.
Source: Google Maps
Sexual assault survivors already grapple with fears that they will not be believed, blamed and shamed, it said, adding:
When those in senior legal positions echo these views, it perpetuates the victim-blaming mentality that we need to eradicate.
Singapore “can’t afford” messages like these, especially not from people in power, AWARE stated, adding:
No woman should have to defend her character, her clothing, her profession, or her dating history when she has been sexually assaulted. Rape is a crime. Let’s stop blaming the victim for being raped.
Comments on rape victim do not represent our views: Law Society
In a response to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Mr Chia later clarified that his post was meant to draw people’s attention to “situational awareness” to avoid assault.
It was not to cast blame on any party, he said.
Source: Chia Wong Chambers LLC
However, CNA also quoted a statement from the Law Society saying that his comments “do not represent the views of the Law Society”.
The society is seriously considering the matter and will “take further steps as appropriate”, it added.
The Law Society expects members to “adhere to the highest standards of professionalism”, it also said, adding:
We will not hesitate to take appropriate measures to uphold accountability and ensure that such occurrences are addressed with the seriousness they warrant.
Source: Retail Design Blog
In the early hours of Tuesday (25 March), the Law Society shared a LinkedIn post, containing a statement from the Society’s president.
In the statement, Lisa Sam — president of the Law Society — said she had called for Mr Chia to resign as vice-president and council member of the society.
Shanmugam ‘surprised’ to read Chia’s comments
The matter has however drawn the attention of Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam.
In a Facebook post on Monday afternoon, he said he was “surprised” to read Mr Chia’s comments, which “in effect suggests that the female victim should not be believed”.
This is despite the High Court finding the victim “an unusually convincing witness” whose evidence was “internally and externally consistent”, he noted, adding:
I am surprised that we still come across someone saying this: When a woman says ‘No’, she does not actually mean ‘No’.
Concern over impact on remarks on other victims
While the minister acknowledged that the views were Mr Chia’s personal views, he is also Law Society Vice-President, he added, explaining:
My concern is that some people might actually think that the views he has expressed indicate the norms in Singapore. And I worry what impact his statement may have on other victims.
Mr Shanmugam has “a quite different view”, he said, and that has been expressed in the changes to the law to better protect victims of sexual assault and harassment, and changes in the way police investigations are conducted.
Source: K Shanmugam Sc on Facebook
Lawyers should be mindful of statements about victims
The minister cautioned lawyers, especially senior lawyers who represent the profession, to be mindful when making statements which minimise or dismiss victims’ concerns.
This may have “a disproportionate impact” on other victims, who may then be unwilling to report their assaults.
Though there have also been false allegations, defendants must be able to fully defend themselves, with defence lawyers required to observe boundaries in court.
Outside court, shaming and blaming victims “steps over the line”, he said, adding:
And misogyny should have no place in our society.
Mr Chia’s LinkedIn account appears to have been deactivated at the time of writing, with links to his profile now dead.
Also read: Ex-YouTube & TikTok star in S’pore found guilty of raping Tinder date, faces lengthy jail term
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Featured image adapted from Chia Wong Chambers LLC and K Shanmugam Sc on Facebook.
