2 men charged with rape of 32-year-old woman at Pioneer Road
www.channelnewsasia.com
SINGAPORE: Two men were charged on Thursday (Mar 10) with raping a 32-year-old woman near Tuas West Road MRT station.
Ahmed Rayhan, 30, and Alam Foysal, 36, allegedly raped the woman under Tuas Viaduct from about 12.30am to 2.20am on Tuesday, according to charge sheets.
The police said in a news release that they received a call for assistance on Tuesday at about 7.25am after a woman was found injured but conscious along Pioneer Road.
When officers arrived at the scene, the woman was found to have suffered multiple injuries on her head and body. She was conscious when taken to the hospital.
Upon medical examination, her injuries suggested that she may have been sexually assaulted, said the police.
"Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, Police Intelligence Department, Public Transport Security Command and Jurong Police Division immediately commenced investigations into a suspected case of rape," they added.
Through extensive ground enquiries and with the aid of police cameras and closed-circuit television, the police said the two men were identified and arrested on the same day within "12 hours of the report being lodged".
Preliminary investigations revealed that both men were not known to the woman and they had allegedly brought the victim to Pioneer Road and assaulted her.
Police investigations are ongoing. A gag order has been placed on the identity of the victim.
The two men, both Bangladeshi nationals, appeared via video-link from remand, dressed in a black T-shirt and floral print shirt.
They followed court proceedings through a Bengali interpreter.
The court ordered both accused to be remanded for one week to aid with investigations like scene visits and seizure of exhibits. They will return to court on Mar 17.
The offence of rape carries an imprisonment term of up to 20 years and a fine or caning.
The police said they take all reports of sexual assault seriously and will "spare no effort to bring the perpetrators to justice".
Members of the public were also advised to report cases of sexual assault to the police so that offenders can be dealt "firmly and in accordance with the law" to prevent them from causing further harm to other people.
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