Man who posed as HDB officer, sexually assaulted teenage girls given 20 years' preventive detention
A man who posed as an Housing Development Board (HDB) officer to lure his teenage neighbour into his flat, and proceeded to sexually assault her and her younger sister, has been sentenced to a maximum 20 years’ preventive detention.
This means that Hussain Samat, 53, must serve the full sentence with no reduction for good behaviour, unlike a jail term. Preventive detention is given to recalcitrant offenders with the aim of protecting the public.
Hussain, a diagnosed paedophile, cannot be caned as he is over the age of 50.
Hussain had locked the 16-year-old girl, in his flat before attempting to rape her and sexually assaulting her. He then bullied the girl into calling her 13-year-old sister for the same purpose.
The cleaner had earlier pleaded guilty to a total of eight charges. They include aggravated sexual assault by penetration, impersonating a public servant, making an obscene film, exhibiting the film to an underaged person, attempted aggravated rape and aggravated molest.
A total of 23 other charges, including wrongful confinement, voluntarily causing hurt and abduction for the purpose of illicit intercourse will be taken into consideration for his sentencing.
On Monday (17 December), the High Court heard that Hussain was found to be at a high risk of reoffending in a report that assessed his suitability for preventive detention.
Hussain is a recalcitrant offender with a history of violent and sexual crimes dating back to 1985, including several armed robberies. In 2001, he was sentenced to 14 years’ preventive detention for a charge of carnal intercourse against the order of nature and aggravated molest. He reoffended in 2016 shortly after serving his preventive detention for possessing an armed weapon.
The report also found Hussain physically suited for a term of preventive detention despite him suffering from several health conditions, including hypertension, high cholesterol and spine degenerative disease.
Hussain has anti-social personality disorder and psychosis, which have been kept in check by medication. He also has a history of schizophrenia.
According to the report, Hussain was found to be at 70.2 per cent risk of reoffending within two years of release and assessed to have no significant protective measures in place to prevent him from reoffending.
The findings gave rise to the prosecution calling for the maximum term of preventive detention to be imposed on Hussain.
In sentencing Hussain, Justice Valerie Thean noted that the previous sentences imposed on Hussain, including a previous term of preventive detention, had had no effect on preventing his reoffending. She added that the latest offences were “shocking” and an escalation of his 2014 sexual offence.
As such, it was necessary to protect the public from such a “habitual offender”, said the judge.
A depraved assault
Hussain had initially planned to rob his neighbours by posing as an HDB officer.
On 6 May last year, Hussain went to the units below his floor and arrived at the victims’ flat. When the elder sister answered the door, he pretended to be an HDB officer. He told the girl that he had received a complaint that her family had littered near the block’s rubbish chute area. The girl’s mother denied the act.
Hussain later told the mother that he needed one of her daughters to sign an HDB document downstairs and led the 16-year-old to his unit. After luring the girl into the flat, Hussain locked the door and trapped her. He grazed her face with a knife blade before molesting and sexually assaulting her while filming the acts.
Following the elder sister’s ordeal, Hussain formed a plan to lure the girl’s younger sister to the unit. Threatening the older girl with a knife, Hussain forced her to call her younger sister on his mobile phone. He told the girl to get her sister to come to his unit under the pretext of bringing over the older girl’s mobile phone. He threatened to stab the girl if she did not follow his instructions.
At around 12.38pm, the younger girl came to the flat. Her sister tried to warn her, but Hussain locked the door behind the younger girl.
He then played the younger girl a video that showed him abusing her sister and threatened to cut the older girl if she did not follow what she saw in the film.
Hussain sexually assaulted and molested the 13-year-old while filming the acts. He was not successful in his attempt to rape the girl.
In the aftermath, the older girl asked to borrow Hussain’s mobile phone to check her school work. She then texted a plea for help to her secondary school friends, providing the address of the flat. One of her classmates called the police at about 2pm.
Police officers later arrived at Hussain’s flat and heard noises from inside.
Hussain dragged the girls to the flats’ toilet and tried to gag the elder girl. The elder sister lied to Hussain saying that she would tell the police that the whole incident had just been a prank.
Hussain then agreed to let the girls go but made the elder girl swear on a Quran book that she would keep her promise not to tell on him.
Once the girls had left the flat, police officers immediately detained Hussain. Both victims then told the police what had happened and Hussain was arrested.
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