Prison officer settles molest case involving girl, 13, with $10,000
17 Jun 2011
SOURCE: The Straits Times
A prison officer has managed to escape the ignominy of becoming a convict himself: He was yesterday allowed to compound a molestation offence.
Mr Selvaraj Karuppiah, 51, settled the matter by apologising to and paying $10,000 to the 13-year-old girl whose breast he allegedly brushed at the Chingay Parade on Feb 20 last year.
Under the law, she cannot be named.
Had the officer been found guilty and convicted, he could have been jailed for up to five years and caned or fined.
Compounding an offence requires the agreement of the victim and the prosecution.
When this agreement is secured, the prosecutor applies to withdraw the charge.
The court then grants the accused an acquittal.
In court yesterday, the teenager appeared uncomfortable and held on to her mother’s hand as they stepped forward to receive the apology from the father of three grown-up children.
Defence counsel Rajan Supramanian declined to comment on the reasons the case was settled without a conviction.
Lawyers said the prosecution may decide to allow an offence to be compounded upon considering the nature of the evidence and the strengths and weaknesses of the case.
Mr Selvaraj, who has served more than 30 years as a prison officer, is said to hold the rank of staff sergeant.
He was at the Chingay Parade under a “Yellow Ribbon” initiative in a segment of the show at Republic Boulevard.
The Yellow Ribbon project works to encourage employers to give former convicts a second chance.
He had been suspended from duty with half-pay since having been charged with molestation.
