Trial Begins for Singaporean Man Accused of Raping Family's Domestic Helper

A 67-year-old Singaporean man is facing trial in the High Court for multiple charges including rape, sexual assault, and outrage of modesty against his family's domestic helper. The prosecution alleges that on the night of January 5, 2020, the man, whose identity is protected by court-imposed gag orders, offered the maid wine and certain supplement injections before sexually assaulting her. The accused allegedly raped and sexually violated the woman over the span of about half an hour while she was feeling too weak and giddy to resist.

According to the prosecution's case, the domestic helper did not consent to any of the acts that took place on that fateful night. She was allegedly left feeling incapacitated and was taken advantage of by the accused. The incident came to light when the woman, upon waking up at about 4 am the next morning, confided in her sister and eventually reported the assault to her employer. Following this, she lodged a police report on January 9, 2020, and was examined by a doctor as part of the legal proceedings.

The trial, which was held away from the public and media's scrutiny, featured evidence from the victim herself, her sister, CCTV footage capturing part of the assault, and the accused's own admissions in video-recorded interviews. The prosecution aims to demonstrate the non-consensual nature of the sexual acts by presenting evidence such as the accused shifting a camera in the victim's bedroom and calling on doctors to testify regarding the man's medical condition. If convicted, the accused could face up to 20 years' imprisonment and fines for rape or sexual assault, and up to two years' imprisonment and fines for outrage of modesty, with enhanced penalties due to the victim being a domestic worker.