In 2020, a married man raped his new domestic helper several times while his wife was out with their three children. The rapes all took place in the family home.
The man had felt “frustrated” as his wife was “no longer satisfying his sexual urges”.
After almost a month and four sexual assaults, the helper ran away because she could no longer tolerate the abuse. She subsequently suffered from emotional trauma and was fired by subsequent employers as she would have anxiety and flashbacks.
On Wednesday (16 Nov), a High Court judge sentenced him to 24 years’ jail and 24 strokes of the cane, after he pleaded guilty to three charges of rape and sexual assault.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the helper came from Indonesia to work for the family in January 2020. She was 24 years old at the time.
Her employers provided her with a bedroom where she slept alone at night. The bedroom also doubled as the children’s playroom.
As they were her first employers, the helper felt a sense of security and closeness with them.
However, the man started feeling “frustrated” as his wife was “no longer satisfying his sexual urges”. Thus, he began targeting her to fulfil his sexual desires.
The first incident happened in September of that year when his wife left the house with their two children to fetch the eldest son from school. The helper was then left alone with the man in the flat.
While she was washing the dishes, he embraced her from behind, kissing both sides of her neck.
She immediately resisted, telling the man to stop. After pushing him away, she fled into her room, but he still followed her.
In the room, he continued his advances, trying to hug and kiss her. In response, the helper sat on the floor, covering her face.
Despite her pleas for him to stop, her employer continued with the assault, eventually raping her.
Throughout the harrowing abuse, she sobbed and screamed as she was in severe pain. The man was fully aware that it was nonconsensual as she covered her face, but still kept going.
During the same month, while his wife was out at a playground with their children, he raped her a second time. This time, the crime took place on the mat where his children would play at.
Sadly, she endured the abuse out of fear and lacked knowledge of how to seek help.
After the fourth incident on 15 Oct 2020, the helper was unable to bear with the assaults any longer. Once the man left the house, she ran away, crying as she called her agent.
They picked her up near the flat, assuring her that filing a police report would not prevent her from working in Singapore. Only then did they go to a police post to lodge a report later that day.
Subsequently, she received emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy. She did not become pregnant nor contract any sexually transmitted diseases.
However, the emotional damage was done, as the helper was unable to trust her new male employers. While carrying out chores, she would get flashbacks and could not get proper sleep.
Furthermore, she would become anxious if she was near a man.
Hence, she was fired by two separate employers consecutively, only finding a housekeeper job in May this year.
Unfortunately, her then-boyfriend and family blamed her for the incident, leading to their breakup.
The deputy public prosecutors asked for 23 to 28 years’ jail and 24 strokes of the cane. They cited that the helper was vulnerable, as the man had a position of power and the assault was intentional.
He would wait until his family left before committing the acts, they added.
However, they also acknowledged the man’s plea of guilt and the S$2,000 compensation to the victim.
On the other hand, his defence lawyers asked for 22 to 23 years’ jail instead with no submission for caning.
In a letter to the judge, he fully admitted to his wrongdoings, saying that he “became consumed by his sexual desire” and “was not able to see the consequences”.
He claimed his time in remand allowed him to control his temptations, and he regained his “sanity and balance”.
Beginning to cry, he told the judge:
Your Honour, I have been a poor husband and a poor employer. But please give me a chance to be the best father to my little children. They are still young.
He also said he was “deprived” of his father’s love, as his parents divorced when he was 12.
When Criminal Investigation Department officers went to his home to conduct investigations, he was taking care of his young children.
His now ex-wife had to leave work to be interviewed as well, the man added.
He expressed his remorse, apologised to the victim, saying that he “deeply regret whatever had happened”.
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