Policeman Jailed 9 Months For Molesting Female Subordinates & Making Lewd Remarks
A policeman has been sentenced to nine months in jail for molesting two of his female subordinates, now aged 27 and 34, on separate occasions.
He pleaded guilty to three charges of molestation and one of insulting a woman’s modesty.
Seven other charges were considered at the time of sentencing.
The 45-year-old man will begin serving his sentence next month.
Policeman molests female subordinates on duty
In August or September 2017, the accused was on patrol with the younger victim.
He drove a police operational vehicle while the female officer was in the front passenger seat with a mobile data terminal (MDT) on her lap, The Straits Times (ST) reported.
When the vehicle stopped at a traffic light, the accused would pick the equipment up from the victim’s lap while touching her inner thighs over her uniform, near her crotch.
This allegedly happened on two separate occasions.
After the second assault, the victim grew uncomfortable and moved the MDT to somewhere else in the vehicle.
Makes lewd remark & molests victim
His earlier offence occurred in October 2015 when he and the older victim were responding to a call for police assistance, according to Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
The woman had bent over to reach through the door of their vehicle to get some documents. Seeing this, the man uttered a lewd comment.
She felt uncomfortable as she perceived it to be sexual and insulting towards her modesty.
Then, a month later in November 2015, the man molested the same female officer during a team-bonding event in an escape room.
While the victim was reading a clue for one of the puzzles, the man approached her and touched her chest.
She pushed his hand away and he touched her arm next, asking if she found a clue.
The accused later confessed during the investigations that he did indeed intend to grope her.
Other officers catch man in the act
Others eventually caught the officer in the act during yet another incident involving the older victim on 5 May 2019.
They were waiting to draw their weapons near a neighbourhood police centre’s armoury with other officers.
The policeman approached the victim, who was sitting on a parapet, and grabbed both her thighs.
Their colleagues witnessed what happened and this prompted an investigation into his actions.
Speaking to CNA, a spokesperson for the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said investigations against the accused began after they received details of his offences in August 2019.
SPF offered counselling support to the victims. In addition, they removed the policeman from operational duties in September 2019, suspending him on 12 Apr 2022 after completing investigations.
The police force also confirmed they would start internal action against him after his conviction on Monday (15 May).
“We deal severely with officers who break the law, including charging them in court,” SPF said.
Bail has been set at S$15,000 and the man has to surrender himself at the State Courts on 6 June to begin his jail term.
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Featured image by MS News.
