Man acquitted of raping woman after High Court appeal
By Claire Huang | Posted: 30 November 2012 1625 hrs
SINGAPORE: A man has been acquitted of raping a woman following an appeal in the High Court.
Mr Ong Ming Wee, 29, had claimed trial to a charge of raping the 25-year-old woman on 12 February 2009.
He had met the woman the night before at nightclub Zouk and brought her back to his flat in Toa Payoh North.
Ong, who was sentenced in April last year to seven years' jail and ordered to be given eight strokes of the cane for the offence, made an appeal.
On Friday, High Court Judge Quentin Loh overturned the conviction and acquitted Ong of the rape charge.
In a summary of his judgement, he said the key question was whether the woman had consented to sex.
He pointed out that Mr Ong did not physically restrain the woman or use any weapon to incite fear or threaten her during the alleged rape.
On whether the woman had consented to sex, Justice Loh said that there were gaps in her testimony.
He said she could not remember key factual details leading up to the alleged rape.
These include who she danced with at the nightclub, what happened in the taxi, why she feared for her life and what Mr Ong did to instil fear.
Justice Loh also said she could not tell how many times she rejected Mr Ong's move.
The woman, he said, was still able to make calls to her mother and friends during the alleged incident.
Based on the evidence, he ruled that it was plausible that there was consensual sex.
- CNA/de/jc
