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SINGAPORE: A man who was 18 years old when he took part in the gang rape of two teenage girls was sentenced to 16 years’ jail and 20 strokes of the cane for his role in separate incidents where the victims were plied with alcohol.
Muhammad Uzair Abdul Rahman, who is now 20, also sexually assaulted two other victims, in a crime spree that saw him violate at least three young girls in a matter of weeks in 2021.
Uzair, who was arrested on June 13 that year, pleaded guilty on Friday to two charges of rape – one relating to a 16-year-old, and the other to a 14-year-old – and one charge of sexual penetration of a minor relating to a third victim, aged 14.
Another five charges for various sexual offences were taken into consideration during sentencing.
They comprised charges of outrage of modesty relating to the 16-year-old, and sexual assault by penetration of a minor under 16 relating to the third victim and a fourth victim.
Prosecutors told the High Court that the 16-year-old, who knew she was being passed around but was too intoxicated to fend off her assailants, suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the rape.
Uzair’s alleged accomplices – Noor Asri Mohd Tahil, 36; Mohammad Shahridzmie Salleh, 20; and Umar Abdul Rahim, 20 – have not been dealt with yet.
Uzair’s offences took place in the bedroom of Asri’s one-room flat when the victims were heavily intoxicated. Asri lived alone and would regularly invite large groups of people to hang out for drinks.
The 14-year-old rape victim was a runaway who was invited by her friend to hang out at Asri’s place.
In May 2021, she was introduced to a group of men, including Uzair and the alleged accomplices, who knew she was 14.
At first, she watched as the group drank whisky and beer, but was eventually persuaded to try the alcohol.
She then began staying at Asri’s flat. During her stay, various sexual acts were committed against her.
On one occasion, under the guise of playing a game of truth or dare, she was made to enter the bedroom with Asri and Uzair. Uzair admitted that he watched as Asri violated the girl.
On another occasion that same month, she became very drunk and drifted in and out of consciousness. One of the men carried her to the bedroom and placed her on the bed.
Uzair admitted that he and his accomplices took turns to rape her.
In June 2021, she was found by the police and placed at the Singapore Girls’ Home, where she told a counsellor that she was raped. Her mother made a police report the following month on July 1.
The 16-year-old victim was raped in the early hours of June 13 that year.
She was drinking with her friends at Admiralty Park when she met Asri, Uzair and another man for the first time. Asri suggested that they continue drinking at his place.
Surveillance footage from the lift lobby of his block showed that she could not stand straight and had to lean on Asri’s e-scooter for support before staggering into the lift.
At some point, the victim called a friend to pick her up. While waiting for her friend to arrive, she was pulled into the bedroom.
Despite her cries of “I don’t want”, she was sexually assaulted and raped.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Shamini Joseph said in sentencing submissions: “She was unable to defend herself when the accused and the co-accused persons moved her body around like a ragdoll and sexually assaulted her for their sexual gratification.”
When her friends arrived to pick her up, Asri denied knowing her and shut the door. But the friends continued knocking.
They eventually helped her leave the flat, as she could not walk properly.
After she told her friends that she was raped, two of her brothers arrived at the block to confront Asri’s group at the void deck.
The confrontation turned violent, and a passer-by called the police at about 3.30am.
In the course of investigations into the rape, it was revealed that Uzair had also sexually assaulted a third victim.
This victim had run away from home in February 2021, and started hanging out with Uzair and his group.
Between April and May that year, Uzair made sexual advances towards her, but she rejected him.
On the night of May 23, 2021, he sexually assaulted her during a drinking session at Asri’s place.
She did not report the incident as she was fearful of her parents’ reaction and because the police were looking for her since she had run away from home. - The Straits Times/ANN
