I think we’ve all seen people in our lifetime pretending to be something they’re not to impress a girl or guy they’re chasing.
Whether it’s changing their fashion sense or telling them they’ve done something cool that they haven’t, all it usually induces is a sense of disdain.
But this 20-year-old man takes this to a whole different level.
After convincing a woman he was interested in that he was a temple medium, he proceeded to rape her under the guise of performing “cleansing rituals.”
The Institute of Mental Health has since assessed the woman and concluded, based on her IQ test, that her overall adaptive living skills fell below the average range of functioning.
The Pair Became Acquainted In Secondary School
The pair got to know each other through secondary school, and the victim would address the man as “kor”, which means older brother—despite the victim being older than him.
Upon rekindling their friendship through Facebook after losing contact, the man took the time to chauffeur the victim to and from work while also having dinner with her and another friend.
At some point during all this, the man developed feelings for her.
However, they were not reciprocated, as she was still interested in an ex-boyfriend of hers.
He Told Her He Was a God of “Chang E’s Rabbit”
On top of telling the woman that he was a medium at his temple, he also said that he was a God of Chang E’s Rabbit.
For those who are unfamiliar, Chang E is the goddess of the Moon in Chinese mythology and is most associated with the origin story of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
She is accompanied on the moon by a Jade Rabbit and has been seen depicted as preparing the “elixir of life.”
Maybe that’s what he was going for? Longevity in his life, hers and their potential relationship.
Following this, he brought her to the temple multiple times before telling her that spirits were following her and her sister.
He also said that their home was haunted by ghosts.
The prosecution told the court that the accused had assured the victim that “as a medium, he could perform consecration rituals to get rid of the ghosts and ensure that no harm would come to [her] and her sister.”
For these rituals, the man would chant prayers while drawing talismans on her body with his finger.
While they started out fully clothed, he later convinced the victim that she had to remove her clothing so he could “consecrate her entire body.”
These subsequently led to the sexual offences occurring between 22 July and 27 July 2019.
After confiding in her friends about the rites that had been performed on her and her body, the victim lodged a police report two days after an incident on 27 July 2019.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sruthi Boppana said that “the accused sexually exploited the victim at his whim” and sought 17-23 years in jail with 16 strokes of the cane.
To top this off, Ms Boppana said that the victim looked up to the accused as a spiritual leader, and yet he exploited her.
He had also intended to impregnate her so she would stay by his side despite the victim having no feelings for him.
The accused’s lawyer said that the man was “deeply remorseful for his actions” and that he had purportedly written a letter of apology to the victim.
In Singapore, for rape and for sexual assault by penetration, the man could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned.