[h=1]Jiu Hu Kia gets 17 years' jail for robbing, raping foreign national[/h]
- By Kyle Malinda
SINGAPORE: Malaysian Chang Kar Meng, 27, was sentenced on Thursday (May 28) to a combined 17 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane for robbing, making unconscious and then raping a 33-year-old foreign national.
Chang, a staff member at a Raffles Place café, had robbed the foreign national of a total of $2,210, including her gold necklace, handphone and about S$300 in cash. As the foreign national is a victim of a sex crime, she will not be named.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Zhong Zewei said that the accused had seen the victim going to her block's lift landing at Paya Lebar on Mar 8, 2013, at around 1.30am.
The accused was on the way home after his girlfriend decided not to meet him due to a long wait to treat him at a McDonald's branch. The victim, who works as a waitress, was heading back from work. As soon as the victim waited for the lift at the landing, Chang approached the victim from behind and hit the back of her neck, making her unconscious.
Chang then dragged her body to a grass patch nearby before stealing her valuables. As he was doing so, he became aroused and started fondling her breasts, before taking photographs of them.
The victim was slightly conscious at that point but remained still for fear that Chang would attack her. He then proceeded to rape her before leaving her body on a discarded mattress at her block.
DPP Zhong said it took investigators five-and-a-half months before tracing Chang's identity and arresting him on Aug 21, 2013, at his residence. Details of the investigations are not known.
The prosecutor further argued that a psychiatric report revealed Chang had the urge to rape the victim as he had not had sex with his girlfriend for a week. Furthermore, he was not on good terms with his girlfriend and he had the intention of impregnating and leaving her.
Although the report revealed Chang had suffered from depression, the prosecution argued that Chang was aware of his actions at the time of the incident.
The defence, led by Sunil Sudheesan, argued that Chang's family members revealed in statements that his actions in these offences were not in line with his usual behaviour.
Justice Tay sentenced Chang to 12 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane for rape, and five years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane for voluntarily causing hurt while committing robbery.
A third charge, of possessing an allegedly stolen sports bra and white dress, was taken into consideration.
- CNA/kk
