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SINGAPORE: Prosecutors have filed notices of appeal against a court's decision to acquit a mother and her former lover of all charges they faced over the alleged sexual abuse of the woman's teenage daughter.
A spokesperson from the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) confirmed this in a statement to CNA on Thursday (Oct 9). She added that AGC was unable to comment further as the matter is before the court.
Justice Pang Khang Chau had acquitted the woman, now 66, and the man, now 74, of their charges on Sep 30.
The pair, who are both Singaporeans, were a couple when the woman's daughter was allegedly sexually assaulted by the man between the ages of 10 and 16. They are no longer together.
Justice Pang found that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
He also found that the complainant's evidence was not sufficiently credible and convincing to meet the "unusually convincing" standard due to several inconsistencies and "shifts".
The pair went on trial in 2021.
The man faced 15 charges, including sexual assault and molestation, while the woman contested 13 charges, mostly for conspiring with the man to commit the sexual abuse. One charge the woman faced was for showing pornography to her daughter herself.
The girl was the youngest of four children and lived with her parents and siblings in a flat.
Her mother used to take her to the man's clinic at a temple, where he would massage both the girl and her mother, the prosecution said in their case.
After the man's clinic closed down, he allegedly began massaging the girl at the flat. The couple then purportedly began sexually abusing her there.
The prosecution alleged that the man sexually assaulted the girl under the guise of "treating" her irregular menstruation or when giving her ritual showers to rid her of evil spirits.
The complainant, who is now 24, lodged a police report on the alleged abuse in November 2017.
The penalties for sexual assault by penetration of a minor are a jail term of between eight and 20 years, and at least 12 strokes of the cane.
The penalties for sexual exploitation of a young person are a jail term of up to five years, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both.
The punishment for using criminal force to outrage a person's modesty is a maximum of two years' jail, a fine, caning, or any combination of these penalties.
