Construction worker jailed, caned for molesting primary schoolgirl after pretending to be lost and ‘scared’

SINGAPORE — At about 7.30pm on one of his days off from work, a construction worker spotted a young girl alone as he was exiting Farrer Park MRT Station. 

He tailed her, asked her for directions to Mustafa Centre, then got her to go with him to the shopping complex by pretending that he was "scared" to go alone. On the way there, he molested her.  

On Wednesday (May 18), the 34-year-old Bangladeshi was sentenced to 10 months' jail and three strokes of the cane for molesting the 11-year-old girl. 

Ramim, who goes by one name, pleaded guilty to one count of outrage of modesty. He is a work permit holder and has been working in Singapore for the past seven to eight years.

The girl’s name cannot be revealed due to a court order to protect her identity. She is a primary school student.

The court heard that the incident happened on Jan 23 this year. 

At about 7.30pm, Ramim saw the young girl walking past him as he was exiting Farrer Park MRT Station.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Nicolle Ng said that after spotting her, he turned back and followed her.

Before the young girl entered City Square Mall, Ramim approached her and asked her where Mustafa Centre was. 

She gave him the directions but he continued to follow her into City Square Mall, where he again asked her for directions to Mustafa Centre.

This time, the girl ignored him. Ramim then asked where she was going and she said that she was going home.

Ramim continued to follow her as she exited City Square Mall. At a traffic light, the girl told him to head in a different direction to get to Mustafa Centre.

DPP Ng said: “(Ramim) told the victim that he was scared of going to Mustafa Centre alone and asked her to takehim to Mustafa Centre. The victim said ‘okay’.”

At this point, Ramim held onto the girl’s left arm as they walked towards Mustafa Centre.

He then moved his arm from the girl’s left arm to her right shoulder and touched her chest once as they crossed the road.

After they got to Mustafa Centre, the girl said “bye” to Ramim and quickly ran home to tell her parents what happened. 

At about 9pm the same day, the girl made a police report at a neighbourhood police centre.

Investigations found that Ramim usually visited Mustafa Centre or Sentosa Island alone on his day off. 

Ramim claimed that he had held the girl’s arm to help him cross the road because he had injured his toe and had difficulties walking. However, surveillance footage taken at Farrer Park MRT Station and City Square Mall showed that he did not seem to have trouble walking.

On Wednesday, Ramim, who did not have a lawyer, pleaded for leniency, saying that he has to send money to his mother to buy medication. 

“If Your Honour could forgive me, I would have saved my family from the trouble,” he said through a court interpreter.

Ramim’s jail sentence was backdated to March 1, when he was first arrested.

Outrage of modesty carries a punishment of up to three years’ jail, fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments. If committed against a person under 14 years old, the jail term may extend to up to five years.