Indian man pleads guilty to sexually assaulting workers in Singapore court

A 20-year-old Indian man has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a maintenance worker from India, whose identity is protected by a court order.

Sree Kanth Murugan, who works in the hospitality industry, sexually assaulted the worker and then ran away when the victim woke up.

Another indecent assault charge will be taken into account in Sree’s sentencing.

According to TODAY, the 34-year-old worker slept in an open space in a residential area where Sree lived.

District Judge Carol Ling requested probation and reform training suitability reports before sentencing on May 9.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ho May Kim called for a report to assess Sree’s suitability for rehabilitation training, telling the court that probation was not a “realistic” sentencing option given the “blatant sexual offences” he had committed.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mr Ho also argued that probation would be “limited” in preventing Sri from committing such crimes, and that rehabilitation would be more effective in a structured environment such as rehabilitation training.

Probative training is an organized rehabilitation program for young offenders under the age of 21. Offenders need to stay in the training center to undergo various programs.

Unlike probation and community sentences, those sent for rehabilitation training will have a criminal record.

Sri’s defense lawyer, Asoka Markandu, said he was “completely shocked” by the prosecution’s objection to probation and asked for a probation suitability report to be completed.

He argued that sending his client to rehabilitation training would be like putting him in a “pack of wolves”, adding that probation officers would provide him with adequate guidance.

Ashoka said sexual issues are a big concern for today’s youth as the digital age has made them more aware of these topics at a younger age, and his clients are “someone screaming for help” which leads him to “Satisfy your own urges” in such a public way.

Deputy Prosecutor He Hao responded that Sri was already on the “brink of adulthood” when he committed the crime, and that rehabilitation training is an option that has taken rehabilitation into consideration.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ho stressed that Sri “preyed” on the victim while he was sleeping and in a vulnerable state, and fled once he was discovered.

District Judge Ling agreed with the prosecution and defense that rehabilitation would be the main consideration in sentencing and ordered two suitability reports.

At about 10:30 pm on October 27 last year, the victim chatted with relatives and drank three cans of beer in an open space in a public housing complex on Jinji Avenue.

While waiting for relatives to take him back to his dormitory, the victim fell asleep on the concrete slab.

After about 30 minutes, Sree arrived and sat at a table near him. Sri then molested the man before sexually assaulting him.

The victim woke up to find his private parts exposed and Sri sitting at his feet.

Sree ran away and despite the foreign workers chasing him, he managed to escape to a nearby home. He was later arrested.

Anyone who commits penetrative sexual assault can be jailed for up to 20 years and may also be caned or fined.