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This one you guys can guess?
SINGAPORE - A 23-year-old man who impersonated a police officer and sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl was jailed eight-and-a-half-years for his offences yesterday. He was also ordered to be caned 12 strokes.
The High Court heard J entered a HDB lift with the victim - who could not be named to protect her identity - on Oct 8, 2010. Wearing a polo shirt with a logo of the military police and the words "Traffic Enforcement" on it, J told the victim that he was a police officer and was going to conduct a check on her for drugs.
J then flashed his military police warrant card and asked the victim to follow him to the rubbish chute area on the 13th floor, where he outraged her modesty. When the victim put up a struggle, J told her that she would be brought to the police station if she did not cooperate. He proceeded to outrage her modesty further.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Nicholas Khoo sought a deterrent sentence yesterday, citing several aggravating factors in the case.
First, J offences were "premeditated and deliberate" as he loitered around a HDB estate waiting for a victim, said Mr Khoo. Furthermore, Jafny cloaked himself with the authority of a police officer - a "very serious misrepresentation" intended to "legitimise" his wrongdoing in the eyes of the young victim, Mr Khoo added.
Mr Mervyn Tan, J's lawyer, argued in that his client is not an "ardent" criminal, but has psychological issues which can be corrected if proper treatment is administered. An Institute of Mental Health psychiatrist had diagnosed J as suffering from an obsessive compulsive disorder.
Mr Khoo countered that the victim has to deal with "heartbreaking" emotional trauma. "It is no understatement to say that the victim's life was changed by the accused's actions and it is not known when, or if ever, she will recover from the trauma which the accused inflicted on her," added the DPP.
Agreeing, High Court Judge Lee Seiu Kin said the victim's innocence has been shattered and noted that she has become fearful of taking the lift alone. Amanda Lee
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