SINGAPORE, Nov 24 — A 16-year-old boy decided to stop by to greet to a group of teenagers he recognised who were holding a birthday celebration at a barbecue pit along Yishun Ring Road.
One of the teenagers in the group then decided on a plan to strip the boy, with the act recorded on video and circulated online.
Yesterday (November 23), the accused pleaded guilty to one count of using criminal force on the victim to outrage his modesty by common intention.
A probation report has been called for the accused and his sentencing has been adjourned to January.
The accused cannot be named as he is under 18 and a court order has been imposed to protect the victim’s identity.
Other names were similarly not disclosed in court documents and it was also not stated how the victim knew the accused or his friends.
What happened
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Zhou Yang told the court that just before midnight on March 3 last year, the victim chanced upon a group of teenagers he recognised at a birthday party.
The accused came up with the idea to pull down the victim’s pants. The birthday boy and a 20-year-old man from the group agreed to it.
DPP Zhou said that the 20-year-old restrained the victim’s arms from behind and later pulled the victim to the ground. He then shouted: “Faster come and pull his pants.”
While the victim was on the floor, the accused held onto the victim’s arms, while the birthday boy held onto the victim’s legs.
The 20-year-old undid the victim’s belt and proceeded to undress the younger boy by pulling down his pants and underwear.
Despite the victim’s pleas for them to stop, the 20-year-old went on to hang the victim’s pants on a sheltered walkway and hid his underwear in the bushes where it was dark.
At this point, the birthday boy started recording what was happening on video, with a mobile phone belonging to a 14-year-old girl who was at the party.
The victim, who was completely naked, was eventually able to escape the restraints of the accused and the 20-year-old.
DPP Zhou said that the victim had to hide near a bush where it was dark.
“The accused persons laughed at the victim and later returned the victim his clothes,” he added.
The victim was assured that the videos would not be published, but it was eventually circulated online and seen by a teacher at the victim’s school a few days later.
The teacher flagged it to the school’s discipline master who then made a police report.
It was not stated if any legal action will be taken against the others who were involved in restraining the victim.
For using criminal force to outrage a person's modesty, the accused could have been jailed up to two years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these punishments. ― TODAY
