A Singapore court has awarded 18 years of preventive detention and 12 strokes to an Indian-origin repeat sex offender for sexually assaulting a maid. Preventive detention is imposed on recalcitrant offenders in order to protect the public from them. According to a report by Channel News Asia, Mark Kalaivanan Tamilarasan, 44, had contested and was convicted of four charges of aggravated sexual assault, house trespass to commit sexual assault, the outrage of modesty and impersonation of a public servant.
Called a repeat sex offender, he had broken into a flat in July 2017 while intoxicated and attacked a maid who was ironing clothes, before sexually assaulting her. This was shortly after being released from 16 years of jail for rape charges.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Chew Xin Ying and Sheldon Lim had pushed for a maximum of 20 years of preventive detention for Kalaivanan after a report found him suitable for such a punishment. However, at the last sentencing hearing in February, Kalaivanan's uncle had asked to address the court, before pleading in emotive language for the court to impose a gag order on his nephew's identity.
Accused uncle's plea to minimise punishment goes in vain
He also claimed that he had seen his nephew in prison and that he had shown remorse. On account of this, Justice Pang Khang Chau ordered another preventive detention suitability report to be prepared before giving his sentence. The second report had the same conclusions, and the prosecution maintained its position in asking for 20 years of preventive detention for Kalaivanan.
They objected to the defence's request for the sentence to be backdated to take into account Kalaivanan's six years in remand, saying that preventive detention was different from remand. On Monday, Kalaivanan's uncle again asked to speak. Defence lawyer Foo Ho Chew said his client is represented and anything should be said through legal counsel.
(With inputs from agency)
