Man, 46, given 8 years’ jail and 12 strokes for sexually assaulting teenage boy

SINGAPORE — A 46-year-old former cook was sentenced to eight years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane on Monday (April 9) for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy who lived in the same housing estate in Yishun.

Samsugani Jahir Hussain pleaded guilty to one charge of aggravated sexual assault by penetration of a minor. One charge of outraging the modesty of a minor was taken into consideration for sentencing.

The High Court heard that in 2016, about four months before the crime, the now 15-year-old victim — who cannot be named due to a court order — and Samsugani became acquainted.

Samsugani began talking to the victim, and usually teased him about his weight, calling him “gundu” (Tamil for fat). On one occasion, the Indian national also invited the victim to his house for a massage that would supposedly help him lose weight, which the victim rejected.

On Nov 25, 2016, at about 9pm, the victim took his bicycle to a nearby shop to inflate a punctured tyre, but it was closed. On his way home, he bumped into Samsugani, who was resting alone on a bench, at a sheltered walkway.

Samsugani offered to take him to another shop. After walking with him for a short distance, Samsugani gave the victim S$2 to help defray the cost of inflating the tyre. The victim declined the money, but Samsugani insisted. He also told the victim to meet him around a nearby McDonald’s outlet when he was done.

After parting ways, the victim decided to turn back to look for Samsugani as he felt uncomfortable taking the S$2. When the boy found Samsugani near the staircase landing near the McDonald’s outlet where they were supposed to meet, he tried to return the money, but the former cook insisted he keep it.

Samsugani then tried to get the victim to follow him to his rented unit, but he refused. Then the duo started walking in the general direction towards the boy’s home. When they passed by a coffee shop, Samsugani asked and pestered the victim to go to the toilet, even though he did not want to.

When the victim relented and entered a cubicle in the male toilet, Samsugani followed him and locked the door. He then performed a sex act on the victim without saying anything.

When the victim recovered from his shock about 10 to 15 seconds later, he shouted. Samsugani stopped what he was doing, and the victim fled home when Samsugani opened the toilet door.

Even though his mother noticed that he was crying when he got home, the victim did not tell her what happened as he was too embarrassed. He told his grandfather of the incident only sometime later, and the old man called the police. Samsugani was arrested in the early morning the next day.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Winston Man and Marshall Lim asked for the mandatory minimum sentence of eight years’ imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane, given that Samsugani had pleaded guilty and “spared the victim the trauma of having to revisit the offences by testifying against him”.

They also noted that Samsugani did not use threats or violence on the victim, and there was no “discernible element of abuse of trust or significant premeditation”.

In mitigation, defence lawyer Sujatha Selvakumar said that Samsugani, a first-time offender, “suffered from a momentary lapse of judgement” and has not previously experienced homosexual tendencies.

For aggravated sexual assault by penetration of a minor, Samsugani could have received up to 20 years’ jail and at least 12 strokes of the cane.