Corpun file 5375

The Straits Times, Singapore, 16 March 2000

This man needs to be locked for up a 'long, long time'

Christopher Nathan, 38, had posed as a cop, forced a mentally-slow woman to have oral sex and raped her twice

By Elena Chong

PREDATORS who attack vulnerable women must be locked up for a long, long time, to keep the streets and housing estates safe. With that statement, Judicial Commissioner Tay Yong Kwang yesterday threw a man in jail for 25 years and ordered that he be given the maximum 24 strokes of the cane.

Christopher M.P. Nathan had posed as a cop and raped a mentally-slow woman twice. He also molested her and forced her to perform oral sex on him.

The JC told the 38-year-old rapist that he had committed dastardly acts against an innocent woman, whose fear and mental capabilities did not allow her to fight back or scream for help.

After raping her once, Nathan accosted her again, as she was making her way home.

Said the JC: "Predators, like the present accused, who attack vulnerable females in this horrific manner must be locked up for a long, long time to keep our housing estates and our streets safe, by day or by night."

Nathan, who faced seven charges, was unrepresented during the 2-1/2-day trial.

He was sentenced to 10 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane on each of the two rapes; and between six months' and five years' jail on the other charges of impersonation, molest and unnatural sex.

The labourer had accosted the unemployed woman outside a 7-Eleven store in Toa Payoh at 2.15 am on June 4, last year.

He claimed that he worked in a police station and led her to a nearby block of flats, where he raped her. About an hour later, as she was walking home, he saw her and led her to another block of flats. There, he raped her again. He also molested her and forced her to have oral sex.

In his defence, he said he did not pose as a policeman but had shown the woman his Central Narcotics Bureau urine-reporting card to prove that he was "no police".

He also said the woman did not resist when he had sexual intercourse with her.

Pressing for a deterrent sentence, Deputy Public Prosecutor Low Cheong Yeow said a clear message had to be sent to all potential offenders that repeated sexual assaults would not be tolerated and must be accorded the gravest of sentences.

He also pointed out the aggravating factors: Nathan had clearly taken advantage of the mentally-slow victim by committing multiple and repeated sexual offences and caused her to suffer indignities.

Rape cases, he added, had risen from 99 in 1996 to 104 in 1998 and, for the first 10 months of last year, there were 98 cases reported.

Corpun file 5360

The New Paper, Singapore, 17 March 2000

The Straits Times, Singapore, 21 March 2000

NSF preyed on girls near camp

The full-time national serviceman, a technician at camp in Choa Chu Kang, robbed and molested girl, 14, and put a knife to neck of another, who was 11

By Karen Wong

A FULL-TIME national serviceman who preyed on teenage girls was jailed for seven years and sentenced to 24 strokes of the cane yesterday. Lee Ling Soon, 22, went to a housing estate next to his camp on Dec 18 last year, where he robbed and molested a 14-year-old girl in a lift, a district court heard.

Lee, who also tried to rob an 11-year-old girl some four hours later, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of armed robbery and molest.

The court heard that Lee, who was working as a technician in the Kiat Hong Camp at Choa Chu Kang Road, decided to rob someone because he needed money.

He walked to the housing estate nearby looking for a "target".

At about 3 pm, Lee spotted the 14-year-old walking along Choa Chu Kang Avenue 2. He followed her to a block and got into a lift with her.

There, he grabbed her and flashed a penknife. He pushed her to the floor, squeezed her breasts and touched her private parts.

The girl struggled and tried to escape but Lee held onto her.

When she cried for help, Lee got angry and punched her in the face. He ordered her to be quiet and molested her again.

After that, he made off with her bag, but it contained no valuables.

Some four hours later, Lee, who was still loitering in the area, spotted another girl at the void deck of a block.

He followed her into a lift and put the penknife to her neck.

The girl struggled and shouted for help.

She escaped when the lift door opened. Her father, who heard her cries, chased and caught Lee.

In mitigation, Lee's lawyer, Mr James Chai, said his client, a first offender, committed the offences on impulse and because he needed money.