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Youth jailed 8 years and caned for attempted rape

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The 18-year-old pleaded guilty at the High Court on Monday (29 August) (Yahoo photo: Safhras Khan)

He was watching pornographic films depicting rape scenes via an Internet website at about 3 am on 26 July 2015 when he felt an urge to commit rape.

Marcus Yow Kai Wen, 18, then decided to don a cap and a pair of sunglasses before heading down to a block of flats in Choa Chu Kang. The then Institute of Technical Education student also brought along a sharp letter opener in order to scare his victim.

At the block, Yow saw a woman, whose identity cannot be revealed due to a gag order, walking towards the lift lobby.

The woman, 25, was on her way back from supper and had just parked her car at a nearby multi-storey carpark.

Dragged victim to neighbouring block

Noticing that the woman was alone, Yow followed her to the lift landing. The victim saw Yow approaching and turned around to face him. She found it strange that he was wearing sunglasses in the wee hours of the morning and decided to walk away.

Yow then pointed the letter opener at her and threatened to hurt her. He dragged her to a neighbouring void deck where he attempted to rape her. However, he was unsuccessful as the victim was wearing a tampon.

Undeterred, Yow performed some sexual acts on the woman before he heard people walking towards them. He quickly dragged his victim to the back of a pillar but the woman managed to shout out to two passer-bys who were in the area.

Yow quickly fled the void deck but in his haste, left a slipper and the letter opener at the scene. The victim was helped by the passer-bys and subsequently made a police report. Yow was arrested later in the afternoon.

Jailed eight years and given 12 strokes

On Monday (29 August), Yow pleaded guilty of one charge of attempted rape before Justice Choo Han Teck and was jailed eight years and given 12 strokes of the cane. Three other related charges were taken into consideration.

The bespectacled youth, who was accompanied by his parents and sister, looked emotionless as the sentence was passed.

Pressing for a sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Sellakumaran Sellamuthoo said that Yow had planned the attack. In addition, he had previously been put on probation for using criminal force on four women.

Yow was given a 18 months’ probation for using criminal force on his victims, aged between 18 and 34, between March and May 2014, according to media reports. The incidents happened in the middle of the night.

“The victim was badly affected by the incident and had since decided to move out of the neighbourhood. She was affected physically and psychologically by the incident,” said the DPP.

Yow’s lawyer, Amarick Gill, pleaded for leniency saying that his client was only 17 when the incident happened.

“He understands, realises and appreciates that he has to be punished and…. with a term of imprisonment plus the caning, which will take a toll on him in some form and manner,” he said, adding that Yow and his family had apologised profusely to the victim.

In passing his sentence,Judge Choo said that he agreed with the prosecution on the seriousness of the offence.

“Something is wrong with you. You have been doing this since you were 16. If you don’t do anything about this, whether while you are in prison or when you are released, the next time (if caught) you are going to be in prison for a long time,” said Judge Choo.