False rape accusation is not a small matter.
Charis Ling Min Rui willingly sold sex for money, did not receive the full sum she demanded, and in retaliation filed a false police report alleging rape.
This was not a spur-of-the-moment slip of judgment, but a deliberate attempt to weaponise one of the gravest criminal charges against a man. If her false claim had stuck, the accused would be staring at years in prison, a destroyed reputation, and a lifetime stigma he could never wash off, even after acquittal. The fact that he was fortunate enough to be cleared does not erase the damage of what she attempted.
When people argue that punishing false accusers “discourages real victims from coming forward,” they are deliberately twisting the issue. On the contrary, every false accusation makes it harder for genuine victims to be believed. Each fabricated case poisons the well, eroding public trust in real survivors.
Severe punishment of liars is not an attack on true victims, it is a protection for them. By treating this case with leniency, the authorities would send the message that filing a malicious report carries no real consequence, turning the legal system into a bargaining chip for personal grievances.
Probation in this context would be an absolute mockery of justice.
Probation is for youthful mistakes and petty offences; shoplifting, vandalism, or underage smoking. It is not for adults who file a false rape report with the intent of extorting money. This is extortion coupled with character assassination of the highest order. If an actual rapist deserves the full weight of the law, then someone who falsely accuses another of rape deserves no less.
The principle is simple: justice must cut both ways.
Allowing her to walk away with a light sentence would embolden others to treat the law as a tool of manipulation. If women believe they can cry “rape” as leverage in disputes, without consequence, then we are setting the stage for repeated abuse of the system.
This case should set the opposite precedent that Singapore will not tolerate the misuse of rape laws, that filing a false report is itself a serious crime, and that such behaviour will be met with firm, proportionate punishment.
Society cannot afford double standards. If we are serious about protecting women from real sexual crimes, then we must be equally serious about protecting men from fabricated ones. Anything less is hypocrisy.
Charis Ling Min Rui is not innocent, not naive, and certainly not deserving of any sympathy. She attempted to destroy a man’s life for money. For that, she deserves a proper sentence behind bars, not a gentle slap on the wrist.