SINGAPORE CITY (SINGAPORE) – The Singapore government is slated to review penalties for violent crimes. This comes in the wake of an outcry over a 12-day sentence given to a student who throttled his girlfriend until she became unconscious.
Twenty-three-year-old Yin Zi Qin’s crime is the latest in a series in the country involving university students and the punishment meted out is viewed by some as light.
Following the outcry over last Friday’s verdict, women’s rights group AWARE warned that such rulings could have a detrimental impact on the perception of people regarding violence against women.
On Tuesday, Law minister K Shanmugam said he had asked for a review of penalties for such cases and the extent to which the scholastic background of the accused should be taken into consideration while sentencing.
Yin attacked his girlfriend after she messaged him on WhatsApp that she was ending the relationship in May 2019.
After receiving the message, the dentistry student went to her house the following day with roses in a bid to reconcile. When she declined, he gripped her neck and dug his thumb into her eye causing it to bleed. She became unconscious.
Authorities charged Yin for voluntarily causing harm, an offence that invites punishment of up to two years in jail. His short detention means he will not have a criminal record. Instead, he has to perform community service and undergo rehabilitation.
Earlier this year, there was a similar outcry over the probation for a student who abused a woman on a train. He was jailed for two weeks after the prosecution appealed.
There was a debate on sexual harassment last year after a student protested against what she thought was a light sentence for a colleague who filmed her in the shower.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field