Lev Panfilov jailed & caned for raping woman he met on Tinder
Lev Panfilov, a former TikToker and actor on the YouTube channel Wah!Banana, has been jailed for 11.5 years for raping a woman he met on Tinder.
The lengthy sentence will come with 12 strokes of the cane, reported The Straits Times (ST).
Source: @levpanf on Instagram
Prosecution called for Lev Panfilov to be jailed for 14 years
Panfilov, a 29-year-old Singapore permanent resident from Russia, was convicted on 21 March of two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault by penetration, and one count of outrage of modesty.
At a sentencing hearing on Monday (19 May), the prosecution asked for him to be sentenced to 14 years’ jail and 16 strokes of the cane.
They said Panfilov lacked remorse, which called for his sentence to be increased.
Panfilov tried to leave S’pore while trial was ongoing
For example, the victim was subjected to 13 days of cross-examination, which “prolonged his trial unnecessarily”, the prosecution said.
Panfilov had also tried to leave Singapore while his trial was ongoing, without asking the court for permission.
While out on bail, he had applied for a new Russian passport without the investigating officer’s knowledge.
He tried to use it to board a flight at Changi Airport on 9 Dec 2023, but was stopped at the entrance to the departure hall.
He was subsequently arrested and has been detained since then.
Defence says he intends to get married & continue education
Panfilov’s lawyer, on the other hand, asked for his client to be jailed for 10 years and five months, with six strokes of the cane.
He said Panfilov was a first-time offender and intended to get married later this year.
He also wants to continue his further education while in prison.
Lev Panfilov jailed for rape that took place in Jan 2021
Panfilov had met the then 30-year-old victim on Tinder.
The woman had worked as an actress and was trying to branch out into comedy writing.
On 12 Jan 2021, they met at a restaurant in Robertson Quay and worked on a script together.
As the restaurant was closing, he suggested going to his place, and she agreed.
She was brought to his bedroom, where she sat on his bed as the room was cluttered, she said.
When he leaned in to kiss her, the woman said she told him “no” and tried to leave, but he sexually assaulted her and raped her.
After it was over, he booked a Gojek ride to send her home.
The woman saw a doctor on 16 Jan 2021 as she was in pain from the encounter. She was advised to make a police report.
On 18 Jan 2021, she revealed what had happened to her mother, who took her to the hospital. A police report was subsequently made.
Around midnight on Jan 18, 2021, she finally told her mother what had happened. Her mother took her to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and a police report was lodged.
Pnafilov claimed that sex was consensual
But Panfilov claimed that the sex was consensual.
He said the woman had made advances on him first by laughing, tapping on his leg and stroking his thigh.
He also messaged her asking if she had reached home safely, and she replied that all was well.
Defence plans to appeal conviction & sentence
On 21 March, Judge Pang Khang Chau found Panfilov’s account unreliable, with inconsistencies between what he said to police officers, what he said in his interviews and what he said in court.
On the other hand, Justice Pang said that the victim was an “unusually convincing witness who gave a detailed and textured account that was internally and externally consistent”.
Panfilov’s lawyers said he will appeal his conviction and sentence.
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Featured image adapted from @levpanf on Instagram and anurakpong on Canva.
