20-11-2024 (SINGAPORE) A private tutor has been sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment and fined S$5,000 for molesting an 18-year-old student during a tutorial session at his residence.
Yew Yap Hon, 39, admitted to two counts of outrage of modesty, with the court taking a third similar charge into consideration during sentencing. The incident occurred on 7 October 2023, several months after the victim, whose identity is protected by court order, began taking lessons with him.
The court learned that Yew had persuaded the student to have lessons at his home, claiming her residence was too noisy and unsuitable for studying. On the evening of the incident, Yew enquired whether the student could stay late or overnight, to which she agreed to extend the lesson.
The tutorial session, which began at 7.20pm, took an inappropriate turn near midnight when Yew requested to sit closer to the student. After receiving her consent, he relocated beside her and proceeded to touch her inappropriately, causing her to lean away uncomfortably.
Despite the victim’s evident discomfort and verbal expression of unease when questioned about his actions, Yew continued his inappropriate behaviour. While apologising, he further molested her by rubbing her back, stating in Mandarin that he “could not take it anymore”.
The victim, feeling unsafe but attempting to maintain composure in her tutor’s home, contacted her uncle for immediate collection and waited at the condominium’s main gate.
During the proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Yap Jia Jun highlighted potential premeditation in Yew’s actions, noting his suggestion to conduct lessons at his residence. Under Singapore law, the offence of outraging modesty carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment, a fine, caning, or any combination thereof.
