30s Japanese Man Who Sexually Assaulted Woman in Singapore
First Japanese to Receive Caning Sentence
Sentenced to 17 Years 6 Months Imprisonment and 20 Caning Strokes
A photo explaining the corporal punishment method in Singapore. [Photo by X (formerly Twitter) capture]
A man in his 30s, who was the first Japanese to be sentenced to caning for sexually assaulting a woman in Singapore, has decided to forgo his appeal and accept the punishment.
On the 9th, Asahi TV reported that Mr. A (38), a Japanese man who was sentenced by a Singapore court last month on the 1st to 17 years and 6 months in prison and 20 strokes of the cane for sexually assaulting a female university student, has confirmed his sentence by deciding not to appeal. Mr. A is accused of taking a woman, Ms. B (then 20 years old), from the Clarke Quay area in Singapore to his apartment in 2019 and sexually assaulting her. He also filmed the act on his mobile phone and sent it to a friend.
Due to the severity of the sentence, attention was focused on whether Mr. A would appeal. His defense lawyer explained the reason for not appealing: “After the sentence was handed down, we discussed the pros and cons of an appeal. The advantage was that the sentence could be shortened, while the disadvantage was the possibility of a longer sentence.” He added, “Since the likelihood of a significant reduction was low even if the sentence was shortened, he ultimately decided not to appeal.” As a result, Mr. A will undergo caning.
The timing of Mr. A’s caning has not been set. The execution of the sentence is notified on the day it is carried out, and then the caning takes place in a designated area within the prison alongside other inmates. Prisoners reportedly live in anxiety, not knowing when their sentence will be executed.
Singapore’s Penal Code allows caning for crimes such as drug trafficking, sexual assault, fraud, corruption, and robbery. Caning is applied to males aged between 16 and 50, using a rattan cane measuring 1.2 meters in length and 1.27 cm in thickness. Adults can receive up to 24 strokes, while juveniles can receive up to 10. In the past, three executioners would administer the strokes manually, but recently a caning machine has been introduced to carry out the punishment.
Before the caning is carried out, medical staff assess whether the inmate can endure the punishment. If deemed unfit or if the caning cannot be completed in one day, additional imprisonment is imposed. Singapore’s caning is known for its severity. Recovery after caning takes at least a week, and the scars left behind remain visible even after many years. The defendant’s lawyer explained, “According to someone who has actually undergone caning, significant wounds are inflicted, and for about one to two months afterward, the person can only sleep lying face down.”
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