Recently, Singapore Court has sentenced a 26-year-old Indian national to 16 years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane for raping a university student in 2019.
Case Brief -
After stalking the university student as she walked to a bus stop late at night, Chinnaiah, who worked as a cleaner, pointed her in the wrong direction and then punched her before dragging her to a forested area and raping her.
The extent of the woman's injuries was so severe, including facial bruising and other significant injuries, that her boyfriend at the time could not recognize her when he visited her at the hospital. The rape incident occurred on May 4, 2019. The court learned that the reason for the four-year delay in the case was due to multiple rounds of psychiatric evaluations required to assess Chinnaiah's mental condition.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Kayal Pillay explained that during the sexual assault, the student attempted to free herself by trying to remove Chinnaiah's hand from her throat since she couldn't breathe. However, Chinnaiah responded by tightening his grip, causing her breathing difficulties to worsen.
In addition to this, Chinnaiah instructed her to remain silent, assuring her that no one would hear her. After the assault, he proceeded to search through her belongings. He even took her water bottle, drank from it, and then emptied the remaining water over the lower part of her body.
Upon his departure, the student quickly retrieved her scissors from her bag, keeping them in hand in case Chinnaiah returned, as described by the DPP.
While she was unable to locate her spectacles, she was able to find her mobile phone to speak to her boyfriend. He later contacted her friend who called the police.
The DPP said after police arrived, the student was taken to a hospital for a sexual assault examination where she was found to have sustained multiple scratches, bruises and scrapes, including strangulation marks over her neck area.
Chinnaiah was taken into custody on May 5, 2019.
The prosecution, seeking a sentence between 15 to 17 years in jail and 16 to 18 strokes of the cane, argued that the level of violence employed during the rape was exceptionally severe, and the assault had been relentless and brutal.
DPP Yvonne Poon further pointed out that the assault was not a spontaneous act, as Chinnaiah had multiple interactions with the victim and intentionally steered her away from her last potential route to safety.
Characterizing Chinnaiah's premeditation as "insidious," DPP Poon highlighted that he took deliberate steps to minimize his presence and avoid detection while following her.
The DPP also referenced the victim's impact statement, dated July 13, 2023, in which the university student expressed that she continues to suffer from nightmares, flashbacks, thoughts of suicide, and a profound sense of shame as a result of the traumatic incident.For aggravated rape, Chinnaiah could have been jailed for up to 20 years with no fewer than 12 strokes of the cane.
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