Singapore

An Indian-origin man, who was released after 16 years of jail in a rape case, has again been sentenced to 18 years of preventive detention and 12 strokes of cane for sexually-assaulting a domestic worker in Singapore.

A preventive detention is a harsh punishment that places a recalcitrant offender in jail for seven to 20 years in order to protect the public from the offender.

Mark Kalaivanan Tamilarasan, 44, had contested and was convicted of four charges of aggravated sexual assault, house trespass to commit sexual assault, outrage of modesty and impersonation of a public servant, source reported. An intoxicated Tamilarasan had broken into a flat in July 2017 and had attacked and sexually assaulted a domestic help who was ironing clothes.

He lied that he was a police officer and demanded her passport, work permit and money before molesting her. He also threatened to punch her before sexually assaulting her. The domestic help, who had never seen Tamilarasan before, screamed loudly for help, and her cries were heard by a neighbouring worker who called the police.

Tamilarasan claimed during a sentence hearing in February this year that he had met the domestic help before in a club at Orchard Towers, which he frequented to dance with maids.

In his defence, he claimed that the sexual encounter was agreed on after the domestic help asked him to sponsor her special pass for her to remain in Singapore.

The claims were rejected and Tamilarasan was convicted of all four charges of aggravated sexual assault, house trespass to commit sexual assault, outrage of modesty and impersonation of a public servant.