SINGAPORE: A former physical education (PE) teacher who repeatedly met his underage student in hotels to sexually abuse her was sentenced on Wednesday (Sep 16) to 16 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane.
The prosecution said the 45-year-old Singaporean man was “so emboldened by his hotel trysts” with the victim that he also committed sexual acts with her at school.
They fought against the defence’s submission that the man’s main transgression was merely in “crossing the professional boundaries of the teacher-student relationship”.
In sentencing, Justice Kwek Mean Luck said the offender was the victim’s teacher, trusted by the victim and her parents.
He had abused his position and breached the trust placed in him, taking steps to be alone with the victim and committing numerous sexual offences.
Justice Kwek pointed to the harm caused to the victim, who had suicidal thoughts and nightmares, lost her appetite and engaged in self-harm.
She also described her fear of males and how she had to cope with rumours surrounding her and the teacher even after going to another school.
The Ministry of Education had previously told CNA that the man was no longer teaching at any school and had been suspended from February 2023.
THE CASE
The court imposed gag orders on the identities of the victim and the man. The name of the school cannot be published as a result.
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