According to a media source on Tuesday, an Indian-origin male repeat sex offender was sentenced to 18 years of preventive detention and 12 strokes for sexually assaulting a maid in Singapore.
Recalcitrant offenders are sent to preventive custody in order to protect the public from them. According to Channel News Asia, Mark Kalaivanan Tamilarasan, 44, contested and was convicted on four offenses, including aggravated sexual assault, house trespass to commit sexual assault, outrage of modesty, and impersonation of a public officer.
As a repeat sex offender, he entered into a flat while intoxicated in July 2017 and assaulted a maid who was ironing clothing before sexually assaulting her. This was shortly after his release from a 16-year prison sentence for rape.
After a report judged him fit for such a penalty, Deputy Public Prosecutors Chew Xin Ying and Sheldon Lim advocated for a maximum of 20 years’ preventive imprisonment for Kalaivanan. However, at the most recent sentencing hearing in February, Kalaivanan’s uncle requested the opportunity to address the court before begging in emotional terms for the court to put a gag order on his nephew’s identification.