Just because we hold one of the world’s strongest passports, doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want overseas.
It appears that 23-year-old Singaporean male, Alexander Lee Jia Jun, might have not taken that into consideration as he was arrested on Sunday (28 August) for rape during his visit in India.
The victim was a 38-year-old Russian woman.
According to Hindustan Times, the incident took place on 26 August at the tourist town in Manali of the Kullu District in India. She had befriended Lee a few days prior to the incident and was called by Lee to come to his hotel room.
When she arrived, she was raped.
Lee has been remanded in police custody till 2 September 2022.
Investigations are still on-going and the embassies of both countries have been informed.
Cases Like These Also Happen in Singapore
While Singapore is generally a safe country, that doesn’t mean cases like these don’t occur.
Just this year (8 March), two men were charged with raping a woman under the Tuas viaduct, which is situated along Pioneer Road.
The two men are Ahmed Rayhan, 30, and Alam Foysal, 36. According to court documents, both men are Bangladeshi.
Court documents also revealed that the men had apparently raped the victim for around two hours from 12:30am to 2:20am.
Another man was also sentenced on 8 August to 24 years’ jail and 24 strokes of the cane for raping his 14-year-old biological daughter while his wife was battling cancer.
He conducted the offences between October and December 2019 on his then-14-year-old daughter, who is now 17 years old.
According to the Ministry of Social and Family Development, the number of female rape victims has been increasing over the years from 189 in 2017 to 215 in 2018 to 289 in 2019.
Sexual assault can occur to anyone, regardless of whether you are a male or if the assaulter is your spouse or partner.
Being sexually assaulted can leave emotional, psychological, and physical scars. These can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD), depression and more.
Help is always available for victims.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline at 1800 777 0000.
Those found guilty of sexual assault or rape in Singapore will be liable to 20 years’ jail and may include a fine or caning.
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