An online petition against a multiple sex offender ruling is circulating the internet, from 10,000 signatures as of 1 pm the numbers double to 20,000 as of 6 pm September 27. The petition is urging the public to take a stand against low-level punishments for sex offenders.
Molestation case background
On September 12, accused Terrence Siow Kai Yuan, 23 years of age, molested a 28-year-old woman while in public transport and continued to assault her in a public elevator before being confronted by the victim.
The suspect was quickly identified and was arrested by the police three days after the incident. Siow admitted to the crime. Prosecutor also added that Siow has also committed similar offenses since he enrolled in National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2016.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Benedict Chan was in charge of the Siow case. The prosecutor was a bit troubled that Siow wasn’t able to recall the number of times he committed these sexual assaults. He considers this as a “deep-seated habit” duo to the number of instances it occurred.
Judge issues a soft verdict for sex offender
Presiding judge Jasvender Kaur described Siow’s offenses as “minor intrusions” and sentenced him to only probationary sentence and not the custodial sentence that the prosecutor was expecting. The judge defended the decision by citing that Siow is performing well academically, “he has the potential to excel in life”, putting him in prison might ruin his future academically.
Prosecutor pointed out that Siow had three other sexual assaults involving women, making him a multiple sex offender, but the judge still considered it as minor and merely a brief touch on the thigh.
Judge Kaur was quick with her decision on the Siow molest case and the probation verdict was already been considered final. The sentence was handed out and the prosecutor’s claim for a stay of execution for 14 days was declined.
This decision caused an outrage in social media calling for a petition against the court’s ruling. People from all walks of life are sympathizing with the victim and how backward the judiciary system in Singapore is acting.
https://twitter.com/Timothy_Bon/status/1177347877292539907
Despite the continuous advocacies against sex offenders, sexual abuse, and assault to women, when a court ruling shows obvious “favoritism” like in the Siow molest case, the cause is likely to fail. This example of the poor judiciary shows that the victims are powerless and the abusers can still go out with a clean slate continuing their abusive acts.
Should educational achievements be a measuring tool for sexual abuse incidents? Will you sign the petition?
