Indian-Origin Man Gets 18 Years' Preventive Detention, 12 Lashes For Sexually Assaulting Maid In Singapore

Shortly after being released from 16 years' jail for rape, Tamilarasan broke into a flat in 2017 in an intoxicated state and sexually assaulted a maid.

An Indian-origin man, a repeat sex offender, was handed 18 years of preventive detention and 12 lashes after he sexually assaulted a maid in Singapore, reported Channel News Asia. The accused, Mark Kalaivanan Tamilarasan, 44, was convicted of four charges of aggravated sexual assault, house trespass to commit sexual assault, outrage of modesty and impersonation of a public servant.

Preventive detention is imposed on recalcitrant offenders to protect the public from them. Shortly after being released from 16 years' jail for rape, Tamilarasan broke into a flat in July 2017 in an intoxicated state and attacked a maid before sexually assaulting her, the report said.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Chew Xin Ying and Sheldon Lim pushed for a maximum of 20 years of preventive detention for the accused.

During the last sentencing hearing in February, the accused's uncle pleaded before the court to impose a gag order on his nephew's identity. He further claimed that he visited his nephew in prison and he showed remorse towards his actions.

On the basis of these arguments, Justice Pang Khang Chau ordered for another preventive detention suitability report prior to the court announcing his sentence, the report said.

The second report had the same conclusions. The prosecution remained steadfast in their demand in asking for 20 years' preventive detention for Kalaivanan.

The defence requested for the sentence to be backdated in order to take into account Kalaivanan's six years in remand. However, the prosecutors objected to this and said that preventive detention was different from remand. 

During the hearing, the accused's uncle hit out at the lead prosecutor, saying she had treated his nephew like "a caged animal" and asked if she understood what a day in prison was like.

The judge said Kalaivanan was a "menace to the public" and "beyond the reach of redemption". "Both preventive detention reports showed no remorse on his part, and Kalaivanan refuses to accept responsibility for his sexual offences past and present," the judge further said.