Youth got girl to have sex by using threats and force

20-year-old youth, while absent without leave from full-time national service, tricked a 13-year-old girl into visiting his flat and tried ways and means to get her to have sex with him.

He offered her money, pinned her on the bed, hit her head and even threatened her with a knife.

The teenager finally relented as she felt she had no choice but to have sex with him so that she could go home.

Yesterday, the youth pleaded guilty in the High Court to aggravated rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and causing hurt to the girl.

He also pleaded guilty to another three charges of having sex with a minor, involving three other girls aged between 13 and 14 at the time.

One of the three teens, who had an abortion in January, is still his girlfriend. The 15-year-old girl was in court yesterday with his mother.

The youth is not named to protect the identities of the victims.

The offences took place between October 2012 and December last year.

Prosecutors sought a sentence of 12 years in jail and 12 strokes of the cane, but the defence asked for him to be sent for reformative training, a strict regime in which young offenders are put behind bars for between 11/2 and three years.

Sentencing was adjourned, with no date fixed as yet, after the High Court called for a report to determine if the youth was suitable for reformative training.

The court heard that the youth first met the rape victim on the night of May 20 last year while hanging out with other friends.

They shared a taxi home the next morning. During the journey, he got her to go to his flat after cooking up a story about wanting to pass money to a mutual friend through her.

No one was home when they reached his flat past 9am. The youth locked the main door and told her to sit on the bed in the living room.

He then asked if she would have sex with him for money, but she rebuffed him, even after he offered her more money.

Twice, he pushed her down on the bed but freed her and said he was kidding after she cried and struggled. He pushed her down a third time and tried to tape her mouth unsuccessfully.

Threatening not to let her leave unless she had sex with him, he pushed her down again, covered her face with a blanket and punched her head.

He then got a knife with a 16cm blade and threatened to hurt her, but she still refused to comply.

She begged him to let her leave, but he insisted she could go only if she had sex with him. She decided to comply.

After they had sex, his mother returned and the girl seized the chance to leave the flat. Her mother later accompanied her to make a police report.

selinal@sph.com.sg

This article was published on Sept 6 in The Straits Times.

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