Jul 22, 2010
CHRISTMAS SEX ATTACK
Gang-rapists' charges reduced
Trial halted and five accused admit lesser sex charges
<!-- by line --> By Selina Lum
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FIVE youths in the middle of being tried for gang-raping a 17-year-old girl have had their charges reduced to aggravated outrage of modesty. What makes this development unusual is that the trial had already gone on for 19 days, with 46 witnesses, including the girl, testifying.
Instead of the maximum 20-year jail term for rape, the five, aged 18 to 21, now face terms of, at most, half that. Rape and aggravated outrage of modesty are both punishable by caning.
The girl, now 19, was being cross-examined by a defence lawyer on her seventh day on the stand when the trial came to a premature halt. It is unclear what emerged during her testimony behind closed doors, but the charges were reduced after defence representations to the Attorney-General's Chambers.
It was mentioned in open court on Thursday that the defence produced the girl's blog during the trial. It also emerged that the prosecution had no plans to tender a 'victim impact' statement, typically submitted to show the effects of the crime on the victim.
Read the full story in Friday's edition of the Straits Times.