A Filipina domestic worker was sexually assaulted by two different men within the same night in Singapore, with a Malaysian national convicted for raping her moments after she had allegedly been attacked by another man.
The High Court handed down an eight-year prison sentence and six strokes of the cane to Harvin Velanggany, 24, on April 13, following his guilty plea to the rape charge. The crime took place on May 26, 2024, in an open field in the Short Street area near Rochor MRT station.
The 32-year-old victim — protected from identification by a gag order — had already been allegedly raped by Anbazhagan Sivamurugan, a 34-year-old Indian tourist, before Velanggany encountered her in the dimly lit field. She told Velanggany directly what had happened to her, including her fear of becoming pregnant.
He raped her anyway.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Ben Tan and Janessa Phua told the court that despite the victim’s distress and active resistance, Velanggany used a condom and proceeded. The field, located between Hotel Mi Rochor, Lasalle College of the Arts, and Sim Lim Square, has streetlights but is known to be quiet and poorly lit at night, particularly on Sundays.
Following the assault, Velanggany went through the victim’s bag and took RM369 — approximately $93 — though he returned the money after she confronted him. A theft charge arising from the incident was taken into consideration during sentencing.
The victim eventually approached a staff member at Hotel Mi Rochor, who contacted police. She was brought to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where she tested negative for sexually transmitted diseases and received antibiotics, emergency contraception, and post-exposure medication. Her employer covered the resulting medical bills, which exceeded S$1,000.
Velanggany was taken into custody two days after the attack, on May 28, 2024. The separate case against Anbazhagan Sivamurugan is still before the courts.
