Man on trial for sexually assaulting younger man who lay on his floor drunk
SINGAPORE: The trial for a man accused of sexually assaulting a man half his age and fresh out of national service opened on Wednesday (Sep 21), with the prosecution charging that the older man had exploited the alleged victim's trusting nature.Jeffrey Pe, a 45-year-old Singaporean, faces three charges of sexually penetrating the victim, then aged 20, as he lay inebriated on the floor of Pe's flat on Aug 9, 2017.
The victim cannot be named due to a gag order protecting his identity.
Opening its case on Wednesday, Deputy Public Prosecutors David Khoo and Tay Jia En said that Pe had sexually assaulted the victim when he was at his most vulnerable.
"The accused had learnt that the victim had recently broken up with his girlfriend and was therefore looking to meet new people (girls in particular).
"The accused thereafter gained the victim’s trust by showing that he was a sociable and extroverted person who could introduce the victim to people to expand the victim’s social network," said the prosecution.
However, at a night out to celebrate the victim's completion of his full-time national service, Pe allegedly sexually assaulted the victim.
"Every Singaporean son will fondly remember his Operationally Ready Date, where he is formally released from full-time National Service duties.
"Alas, not so for the then 20-year-old victim. Instead of fond memories, the victim is instead left with indelible scars of National Day 2017, and he had to seek professional help to overcome the trauma he received from the incident," said the prosecution.
According to the prosecution, Pe and the victim first met at a pub around Jul 23, 2017.
At the time, the victim had just broken up with his girlfriend and wanted to know more women. He befriended Pe who appeared connected with a woman he was interested in.
The two exchanged numbers after Pe invited both the victim and the woman to his birthday party on Jul 29, 2017. They conversed over WhatsApp in the meantime.
Pe met the victim at a bar on Jul 30 to celebrate the former's birthday.
On Aug 6, 2017, the victim allegedly wanted to meet Pe to drink, but the older man fell asleep before they could meet. Pe apologised and both agreed to meet two days later for drinks.
On Aug 8, the victim met Pe at night and they consumed alcoholic drinks in the Chinatown area before the victim allegedly asked to sleep at Pe's residence.
The prosecution said it would lead evidence to show that on Aug 9, Pe made the victim an alcoholic drink and offered the younger man a change of clothes and his bed to sleep in. The victim allegedly declined the clothes and the bed, falling asleep on the floor of Pe's bedroom in his own clothing.
He awoke sometime later to find that his jeans and underwear had been pulled down, and Pe was sexually assaulting him, the prosecution alleged.
Drifting in and out of consciousness, the victim mustered the strength to push Pe away. The victim then went to the toilet to wash himself, disgusted with what had happened, the prosecution continued.
The victim later called a friend and confided that Pe had "raped" him. The victim called the police on Aug 9, at about 5.47am, stating: "A guy just tried to rape me. I have known him for a few weeks, he was very intoxicated. He is at home right now."
Pe was arrested at his apartment at about 10.30am.
The prosecution will lead evidence from analysts from the Health Sciences Authority to show that while the victim's blood sample contained 40 mg of ethanol per 100 ml of blood, no ethanol was detected in Pe's blood sample when it was taken.
An Institute of Mental Health consultant will give evidence that the victim was likely to have been intoxicated between 4.15am and 5.30am on Aug 9, and was therefore unable to consent to the sexual acts.
A psychiatrist will testify that she diagnosed the victim with generalised anxiety disorder with possible post-traumatic stress symptoms following the incident.
The victim testified in camera on Wednesday. The prosecution will lead evidence from 26 witnesses in total.
Pe is represented by lawyer Amarjit Singh. The trial continues on Wednesday afternoon.
If convicted of sexual assault by penetration, Pe may be jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.
