Man, 26, jailed 17 years & caned for trying to rape friend, 26, twice after spiking her water
When he was caught red-handed, he claimed he was trying to help her put on a blanket.
Kerr Puay Hian
A 26-year-old man decided to rape his platonic female friend of the same age after they stayed in the same flat for around half a year.
The first time he spiked her drink with a date-rape drug, she managed to resist during her stupor right before he was going to rape her.
She could not remember what had happened exactly the next day even though her underwear was strewn on the ground, but she decided to trust him because they were close friends.
He tried doing the same thing two months later.
This time, she caught him red-handed after pretending she had taken the drink.
The man, whose identity was not revealed to protect the victim, pleaded guilty to one charge of attempted rape with hurt, one charge of causing hurt using intoxicating substances, and another charge of sexually assaulting the victim using his hand.
After considering four other charges, a High Court judge sentenced him on Apr. 3 to 17 years in jail and 14 strokes of the cane.
Met at university and came Singapore to work together
Court documents revealed that the victim and the man have been friends since 2015 when they studied at the same university in Malaysia.They shared a close platonic relationship. The man had a girlfriend, and the victim had a boyfriend.
After they graduated in 2018, they came to Singapore, found the same job in the same hotel, and rented the same flat but stayed in different bedrooms.
While staying together, the victim often wore an oversized t-shirt over her undergarments as her sleeping attire, and the man began having sexual fantasies.
Devised a plan to drug and rape her
As the man and his then-girlfriend often reminded the victim to drink more water because of her health, he devised a plan to spike her water so he could sexually assault her while she was unconscious.Sometime between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, he came across an advertisement for sex toys on messaging platform WeChat.
The ad brought him to an online catalogue with a product known as "HK".
HK was described as a product which could induce sleep and drowsiness when consumed.
Paid S$60 for date rape drug
The man paid an unknown seller RM200 (S$60) for a bottle of HK, which he received in a parcel.The prosecution stated that testing revealed HK to be Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), a substance that converts into gamma-hydroxybutyric (GHB) in the body when consumed.
GHB is more commonly known as a date rape drug.
GBL is an industrial chemical and has no approved medical use.
Spiked her water
On January 2020, when the man was alone with the victim in the flat, he decided to drug and rape her.He put a few drops of HK into a glass of water before offering it to her.
After she drank the water, the victim took a shower, and they chatted in the man's bedroom.
As the drug's effect started to kick in, the victim asked the man to bring her back to her room.
While she was knocked out on her bed, the man removed her underwear and sexually assaulted her with his hand.
Almost raped her but she couldn't remember what happened
When he tried to rape her, the victim managed to sit up and asked him to stop. She became sedated soon after, but the man decided not to continue the rape and left the bedroom.She woke up the following day and saw her underwear on the floor but only vaguely remembered what had happened due to the effects of the drug.
As she was unsure what had exactly happened, she decided not to confront her friend about it as she also trusted that he would not harm her, given their close friendship.
Two months later, he decided to do it again.
She threw the water out of the window the second time
On the night of Mar. 29, 2020, the man offered her a spiked cup of water while she was in her bedroom.She had suspicions, so when he left the bedroom, she poured the water out of her window and pretended to sleep after a shower.
She had left her bedroom door open while showering so the man could see the empty cup.
The man's girlfriend was sleeping over the night, so he left his bed around 2am after she went to bed.
Wanted to catch him red-handed but was too afraid to react
When he entered the room, he grabbed her leg to pull her closer to the edge of the bed.The victim, who was awake, turned her body around, but he reached underneath her underwear and sexually assaulted her with his hand.
Even though the victim intended to catch him red-handed, she was too afraid to react.
When she felt he was trying to rape her, she sat up, grabbed his arms, and asked him what he was doing.
He claimed he was trying place a blanket over her
The man claimed he was merely trying to help place a blanket over her.She asked him to come clean, but he refused and quickly left the room.
They exchanged text messages over WhatsApp, and the man refused to admit his actions.
The victim initially decided not to report the man to the police on account of their close friendship but eventually decided to out of fear for her safety.
Prosecution says victim in utter disbelief and shock
The prosecution pointed out the man's high level of premeditation and planning as he took advantage of his close friendship and trust with the victim.They said it was because of this friendship and trust that the harm caused to the victim was higher than normal.
The prosecution said the messages the victim sent the man after the act revealed her "utter disbelief and shock".
They showed a snippet of the conversation in their written submissions:
The prosecution also pointed out that the accused use of a drug and committing the offence while in her home, where she should be able to feel safe, also makes his crimes even more aggravating.
