SINGAPORE, March 25 — The president of the Law Society of Singapore has called for the resignation of its vice-president, Chia Boon Teck, over comments he made about a rape survivor.
Chia faced backlash after posting remarks on LinkedIn about the victim of convicted rapist Lev Paniflov, suggesting she was not naive and questioning the circumstances of the assault.
His comments were criticised as victim-shaming, prompting calls from the legal community for him to step down from his leadership role.
“The victim’s morality should not have been questioned in this manner,” Law Society president Lisa Sam Hui Min said in a statement.
Law Minister K. Shanmugam also expressed concerns that such remarks from a senior lawyer could discourage other victims from coming forward.
Following the controversy, Chia deleted his LinkedIn post and later removed his entire account from the platform.
Legal professionals, including TSMP Law Corporation’s joint managing partner Stefanie Yuen-Thio, welcomed the Law Society’s stance, stressing the need to reject misogyny.
