The High Court of Singapore delivered a significant verdict on October 28th, finding a married renovation contractor guilty of raping his female client. The accused, 49-year-old Koh Lee Hwa (a Singapore Permanent Resident), was convicted on four charges including molestation, sexual assault, and rape after maintaining his innocence throughout the trial.
The case originated from a serious sexual assault incident that occurred on August 23rd, 2021. Court documents revealed that the professional relationship between the accused and the victim began in 2015 when the contractor performed renovation work at the victim's residence. The situation developed on August 21st, 2021, when the victim contacted Koh regarding malfunctioning lights in her kitchen and toilet, requesting an inspection.
Koh visited the premises the following day and identified issues with the electrical wiring in the distribution box, scheduling a return visit on August 23rd to complete repairs with necessary tools. On the day of the incident, while Koh was working on the distribution box in the living room, he allegedly suddenly embraced the victim without consent.
The frightened victim pushed him away and retreated to her bedroom, immediately messaging two friends about the forced embrace. She explicitly requested Koh to complete the repairs quickly and leave her residence, remaining in her room for safety.
After claiming to have fixed the electrical issues, Koh instructed the victim to test all electrical switches throughout the house. As she emerged from her bathroom during this inspection, Koh allegedly pushed her against a dressing table and embraced her again.
When the victim's attempts to push him away failed and she demanded he leave, the situation escalated with Koh forcing her onto the bed. Despite her pleas and resistance, Koh proceeded to lift her shirt and undergarments, molested her breasts, forced tongue kissing, and subsequently committed digital penetration and rape before departing the scene.
In delivering the judgment, the presiding judge emphasized the credibility and consistency of the victim's testimony, noting her detailed description of the assault and corroborating evidence from messages she sent to friends immediately following the incident. The judge determined that based on the professional nature of their relationship, where the victim viewed the accused strictly as a service provider, it was implausible that she would have spontaneously consented to unprotected sexual intercourse.
Koh's defense claimed the sexual encounter was consensual and that the victim appeared to enjoy it. He also suggested the victim might have been envious of his expensive necklace valued between $20,000 and $30,000. However, the judge dismissed these arguments as unreliable and lacking credibility. Koh's additional assertion that the brief ten-minute duration of the encounter proved consent was similarly rejected by the court.
The judge noted that testimony from the victim's friends described her in a dazed and shocked state following the incident, with disheveled hair and clothing consistent with a sexual assault victim's condition. The case has been adjourned for sentencing at a future date.
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