Rape victim hoping for help after attack in field in Rochor sexually assaulted by second man

SINGAPORE – A domestic helper who was allegedly raped by a tourist at an open field in Short Street was sexually assaulted by another man just minutes later.

The 32-year-old victim, a Filipino, saw Harvin Velanggany after the initial assault and told him about the attack, which happened on a Sunday night on May 26, 2024.

Instead of helping, the 24-year-old Malaysian overpowered and raped her in a dimly lit area next to the Rochor MRT station structure that houses air-conditioning units.

He then rummaged through her bag and stole RM369 ($120) from her.

The victim finally found help when she approached a staff member at Hotel Mi Rochor, across the road from where she was raped. The hotel employee then called the police.

On April 13, Harvin, an odd-job labourer in Singapore, was sentenced by the High Court to eight years’ jail and six strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to raping the domestic helper.

One charge of theft was taken into consideration during sentencing. The victim cannot be named due to a gag order to protect her identity.

The attack happened in a field located opposite Hotel Mi Rochor at 89 Short Street. The area, which is larger than a football field, is tucked between two Rochor MRT station structures.

The field is located between the hotel, Lasalle College of the Arts and Sim Lim Square.

Checks by The Straits Times showed that although the area has streetlights, it is not crowded at night.

Mr Raj, who is part of a team conducting construction work in the area, said: “There are many people walking around in the day.

“When it’s night, even though there are street lamps, it can get quite dark and (be) hard to see, especially in the middle part of the open field.”

Several other pedestrians who work nearby said the area is quiet especially on Sundays.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Ben Tan and Janessa Phua said the victim, who was on her day off, had consumed several cans of beer earlier in the day.

Later that evening, the victim was in the open field when Anbazhagan Sivamurugan, a 34-year-old tourist from India, saw her. He approached her and allegedly raped the woman.

Harvin, who was looking for a place to sleep, saw what was happening. He spoke with her and noticed that the victim was “very drunk”.

She told him Anbazhagan had allegedly forced her to have sex with him. She said she did not know the man.

As the victim was looking for her missing phone, she told Harvin she was worried that she may have been impregnated.

Harvin told her not to worry as he had a condom. The victim replied that she was referring to Anbazhagan and not him. Ignoring her, Harvin took a condom from his bag and wore it.

She struggled to stop him, but he pinned her down and raped her. After the assault, Harvin rummaged through the victim’s bag and stole her cash and hid the notes in his underwear.

When the victim discovered that her money was missing, she confronted Harvin, who returned the money to her.

He then left the area.

The victim was taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital later that day, where she tested negative for sexually transmitted diseases.

She was given antibiotics, emergency contraception and medication to prevent infection after potential HIV exposure.

The prosecution said the medical expenses totalled more than $1,000, which the victim’s employer paid in full.

Harvin was arrested on May 28, 2024. Anbazhagan’s case is still before the courts.