"17 Years Imprisonment Not Enough"…Singapore Sentences 'First Japanese Caning' for Sexual Assault Offender

Sentenced to 17 Years Imprisonment and 20 Lashes
Corporal Punishment Executed Only on Offenders Under 50
Up to 24 Lashes, One Lash Per Minute

A Japanese national, Kita Iko (38), has become the first Japanese person to be sentenced to caning in Singapore. Singapore enforces caning as a punishment for sex offenders.

On the 3rd (local time), foreign media including Singaporean outlet CNA and Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported that a Singapore court sentenced Kita to 17 years in prison and 20 strokes of the cane for charges including sexual assault and filming obscene materials. This is the first time a Japanese national has been sentenced to caning in Singapore.

Kita, a hairdresser, is accused of taking a female victim, A, who was a first-year university student in December 2019, to his home and sexually assaulting her. He is also accused of filming the victim, who was intoxicated and unable to control her body, on his mobile phone. It is said that his crimes continued until A regained consciousness.

A reenactment of a caning execution in Singapore. [Image source=Death Penalty Project Archive]

Afterwards, A understood the situation, contacted a friend to inform her, left the apartment, and escaped by taxi called by the friend. Kita was arrested by the police the next day after the incident.

Singapore police confiscated Kita’s mobile phone and discovered videos of the crime lasting 24 seconds and 40 minutes respectively. Kita reportedly stated that he filmed the videos "to send them to a friend."

The court stated, "The defendant continued the sexual assault despite the victim repeatedly screaming and pleading for him to stop," and added, "The victim still suffers from post-traumatic stress symptoms years after the incident. The defendant must take responsibility for the irreversible harm caused to the victim."

Furthermore, the court explained the sentencing rationale, saying, "The victim was intoxicated and in a state unable to resist," and "Considering the severity of the cruel and brutal crime, the sentence must be severe."

In Singapore, caning is enforced for criminals charged with offenses such as sexual assault and drug trafficking. The punishment involves striking the back or buttocks with a cane and can only be sentenced to male offenders aged 18 to under 50, with a maximum of 24 strokes.

To maximize the prisoner’s fear, caning is reportedly carried out without prior notice. The intensity of the strikes is also regulated: one stroke per minute at a speed of up to 160 km/h. The mental and physical impact of caning is known to be significant, with some cases reporting side effects such as the inability to use certain body parts for years.