Bangladeshi man jailed, to be caned after molesting maid

A 32-year-old Bangladeshi man was ordered to serve 11 months in jail and receive three strokes of the cane by a Singapore court on Tuesday after admitting to two counts of outrage of modesty for molesting an Indonesian domestic worker in September.

On Sept 2, 2017, the defendant named Hannan, a marine trade worker, was first seen talking on the phone at Teban Gardens Road, where the 32-year-old Indonesian victim and a 25-year-old domestic worker from Myanmar named Liani were looking after two children – a boy and a girl playing at a playground, The Straits Times reported.

At around 6:30pm, just after the four left the playground, Hannan appeared at a sheltered walkway, where he took out his phone and urged the Indonesian maid to add her number on his mobile. The victim ignored him and walked away.

The court heard that the defendant then grabbed her breast from behind. The victim was scared and quickly dashed off, while also shouting a warning at Hannan.

But the man followed the maids and children and went close to the victim trying to get her number – only to be rejected again. He subsequently hugged her from behind and squeezed her right breast.

The second incident happened at a lift lobby in a building. The victim was seen by Liani squatting down and covering her breast to try to stop the man molesting her with an indecent grip.

After arriving home safely, Liani’s employer went out and chased Hannan after being told about the incident. The defendant denied any wrongdoing when confronted.

However, he later admitted to charges related to the incident in the court.

Under Singaporean law, a person convicted of molestation can be jailed for up to two years, as well as fined, caned, or received any combined punishment for each charge.