SINGAPORE – The unresolved inconsistencies in the testimony of a woman who accused online content creator Lev Panfilov of raping her gave the Court of Appeal reason to doubt her account of a violent sexual assault.
But neither her account of a rape nor Panfilov’s account of consensual sex was more believable than the other, the court said in written grounds issued on Nov 5.
“In such a situation, the court could only be guided by the ‘cornerstone of our criminal jurisprudence’ that, where the evidence may lead to two equally reasonable results, that suffices to establish reasonable doubt.”
In a 92-page judgment, the court, comprising Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Ang Cheng Hock and Justice Sushil Nair, set out its detailed reasons for acquitting Panfilov on Sept 2.
The woman had accused Panfilov of sexually assaulting her in his bedroom on Jan 12, 2021.
He was then a scriptwriter and actor with YouTube channel Wah!Banana. She had worked as a model and actress and was trying to branch into comedy.
They “matched” on Tinder in early January 2021. A few days later, on Jan 12, they met at a restaurant at Robertson Quay, and made their separate ways to Panfilov’s condominium unit, which he shared with flatmates.
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