Man, 21, convicted of attempted rape, sexual assault of Taiwanese tourist
SINGAPORE — When the Taiwanese tourist he was partying with at a club wanted to return to her hostel, Ng Jun Xian offered to accompany her to a hotel so that she could rest there
After they checked into a room, she asked him to leave but Ng, then 20, did not. Instead, he tried to kiss her against her wishes. Later, Ng pinned the woman face down on the bed and forcefully pulled off her clothes.
Ng was yesterday convicted of one count of attempted rape and another of sexual assault. His 23-year-old victim cannot be named to protect her identity.
District Judge Mathew Joseph adjourned sentencing to Sept 2, and ordered for an assessment on Ng’s suitability for reformative training.
The court heard that Ng, who was serving National Service at the time, had become acquainted with the Taiwanese woman a few weeks before the incident, which happened on Nov 8 last year. Ng had exchanged phone numbers with his victim, who was in Singapore to visit her boyfriend.
Some time before 2.30am on Nov 8, Ng sent her a text message and asked to meet at the same club where they first met. They had drinks and enjoyed the music with another one of Ng’s friends.
When the victim wanted to return to her hostel at about 4am, Ng convinced her to let him accompany her to a hotel instead.
When they reached Hotel 81 along Lavender Street, Ng told his friend to wait at the lobby and checked into a room with the victim. But instead of leaving the room as he had promised earlier, Ng tried to kiss the victim and touch her buttocks.
In shock, the victim bit him and shouted in Chinese, “Don’t want, don’t want, don’t touch me”, the court heard.
Upon hearing her shouts, Ng’s friend knocked on the door and repeatedly called for Ng but to no avail.
Ng tried to cover the victim’s mouth, forcefully pulled down her pants and touched her private parts, the court was told. When the victim managed to break free momentarily, Ng slapped her and pushed her back on the bed.
It was only when she flung a cup at him that he stopped making advances, knelt down before her and apologised, the court heard. The victim suffered bruises over her cheek, a chipped front tooth and a cut over her left upper arm. She lodged a police report later in the morning.
During investigations, Ng, who turns 21 today, told the police he had a “strong sexual drive and urge” to have sex with the victim once he saw her lying on the bed.
Pressing for a total sentence of nine years’ jail and 10 strokes of the cane, deputy public prosecutor Zhang Hongchuan said Ng’s offences were “particularly heinous and serious”. Although reformative training is aimed as a rehabilitative sentencing option for youth offenders, this is not such a case, said DPP Zhang.
Yesterday, Ng was also convicted for disorderly behaviour by participating in a fight with at least five others at a pub at Golden Mile Complex on Nov 22 last year.
Ng could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined and caned for attempted rape.
He could be jailed up to six months or fined up to S$2,000 for riotous behaviour in a public place.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article reported that Ng Jun Xian pinned the victim on the bed and forcefully pulled off her clothes once they had checked into a hotel room. This is incorrect. Ng did not attack her immediately. We also reported wrongly that Ng had served jail terms for other offences. He was placed on probation as a juvenile and placed on Singapore Armed Forces detention during National Service for separate offences. The maximum penalty for attempted rape was also stated wrongly. It should be jail not exceeding 10 years, a fine and caning. We apologise for the errors.
