SINGAPORE: A rapist failed in his appeals against his conviction and sentence on Thursday (May 7) and instead got another six months’ jail in lieu of 13 strokes of the cane.
This is because Koh Lee Hwa turned 50 in January, after being sentenced to 12 years and three weeks’ jail in November 2025 for his sexual assault against a woman. He was also ordered to be given 13 strokes of the cane.
Since Koh had turned 50 and was no longer able to be caned, the additional six months would compensate for the loss of deterrence in the form of caning, the Court of Appeal said on Thursday.
It also said caning is always a good form of deterrence for sexual offences and it would also give some solace to victims that the attacker has to feel physical pain in addition to incarceration.
Koh remains on bail with his daughter as his bailor until he begins his jail term later this month.
BACKGROUND
He had claimed trial but was convicted of four charges, including rape, sexual assault by penetration and outrage of modesty.
The victim, whose age was redacted as her identity is protected by gag order, hired Koh to renovate her flat in 2015.
Koh, a Singapore permanent resident, did renovation and electrical repair jobs for her sporadically.
In August 2021, while at the woman’s flat to repair lights, he hugged her without her consent and raped her.
The trial judge had rejected Koh’s defence that the sex was consensual and found that the victim’s evidence was unusually convincing and corroborated by messages to her friends.
