Reformative training for youth who performed sexual act on 14-year-old girl
A young man, who admitted on social media when he was still in national service that he had performed a sexual act on a drunk 14-year-old girl, was on Thursday ordered to undergo at least six months of reformative training.
The perpetrator, now 19, admitted in November 2022 to one count of sexual penetration of a minor below 16 years of age. He had also pleaded guilty to two theft-related charges, one count of cheating and one count of driving without a licence.
He cannot be named due to a gag order protecting the victim’s identity.
Reformative training involves detention in a centre with a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.
It is a rehabilitative sentencing option for young offenders aged under 21 who are found to be unsuitable for probation.
On Sept 21, 2021, the 14-year-old girl, a secondary school student, met the accused at a mutual friend’s flat. There were five people present in the flat, including the victim and the accused.
The accused mixed an alcoholic drink for the victim, who drank it and began feeling tipsy and unwell. She vomited in the toilet, dirtying her clothes in the process, and lay on the floor.
Seeing that the victim had vomited on her clothes, the accused proceeded to remove her pants. She thought he was trying to help her clean up and did not object.
The accused then removed her underwear and performed a sexual act on her. He stopped only when she asked him twice to do so. She continued lying on the toilet floor as she still felt unwell.
The group later left the flat and, because the victim was still unconscious, the accused and their friend attempted to carry her down the stairs. When the friend dropped the victim, the accused dragged her halfway down the stairs by her arms before letting go. She then slid down the remainder of the flight of stairs.
The group found this funny and one of them took a video. The victim was subsequently taken home by her grandparents, after they had been contacted.
After she regained consciousness the following day, she messaged the accused on Instagram asking him what had happened. He admitted that he had performed a sexual act and apologised for doing so.
On Nov 20, 2021, their mutual friend made several posts about the incident on Instagram. He uploaded the video of the girl sliding down the stairs and also stated that the accused had performed a sexual act on her.
Two days later, at their mutual friend’s behest to make a public apology about what had happened in the flat, the accused joined an Instagram Live – a live stream where participants can comment and react.
The accused was questioned during the live stream, and he admitted to performing the sexual act.
The incident went viral and led to the public lodging police reports. The accused was arrested on Nov 23.
Separately, the accused stole bottles of alcohol from a Cold Storage supermarket outlet in Takashimaya in July 2021. He also stole bottles of alcohol from the Velocity outlet of the supermarket chain that same month.
He also rented a car using a GetGo car-sharing account that he purchased from a seller in September 2021. The following month, he drove the car to ferry his friends around, despite not holding a driving licence then.
If convicted of sexually penetrating a minor below 16 years of age, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined, or both.
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