bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

A spiritual medium who sexually assaulted a teenage girl under the pretext of giving her one-to-one wushu lessons in Singapore was sentenced to nine years and four months’ jail on Wednesday.
Tan Beng Kwee, 63, had earlier been convicted of sexual offences against the victim, who was then between 14 and 15 years old.
The charges are one count of attempted sexual penetration of a minor under 16, one count of sexual penetration of a minor under 16 and one count of procuring an indecent act from a young person.
Tan claimed trial and was found guilty of all three charges by Principal District Judge Toh Han Li, who dismissed the accused’s bare denial.
The victim cannot be named due to a gag order.
Tan founded the Ang Mo Kio home temple in 2007 and lived there with his then-girlfriend.
He acted as a spiritual medium who invited a Taoist god to possess him during sessions with temple members.
During one such session, Tan told the victim to learn wushu, a form of Chinese martial arts, from him.
She began taking one-on-one lessons in 2013, up to two times a week in the unit’s living room. This was when she learned about the zodiac, horoscope, talismans and feng shui.
During the sessions, he ensured that no one else was present, according to the prosecution.
The sexual assaults took place during one of the first few lessons.
Claiming that he was feeling hot, Tan went to the master bedroom with the girl. There, he sexually assaulted her, ignoring her reluctance and pain. He said she or her family would be punished if she did not participate.
Before she returned home, Tan told the victim that she had to keep mum about the incident, or else “something would happen to her family”.
Fearful that the Taoist god might punish her for failing to attend lessons, the victim continued with the lessons until some weeks before November 24, 2015.
The prosecution charged that Tan had “orchestrated” the offences by using the voice of a deity to isolate the victim, showing her pornography to “desensitise her”, then issuing threats of “supernatural punishment to silence her”.
According to the prosecution, Tan had also shown the victim an amulet in the shape of a private part.
The victim lodged a police report on January 23, 2021, and Tan was arrested two days later.
When the authorities raided Tan’s home, they seized more objects that resembled private parts and several sex toys.
In his defence, Tan denied the sexual assaults and claimed the lessons occurred in 2015 when the victim had turned 16.
He also claimed that others would be free to come and go during the lessons, and that his girlfriend was present at least once.
In sentencing Tan, Judge Toh noted Tan’s “grave” abuse of the victim’s trust, pointing out that the victim, a temple member, had looked to Tan for spiritual guidance and saw him as a father figure.
The judge disagreed with the defence that there had been no evidence of premeditation, adding that the one-to-one lessons had created the setting for Tan’s abuse.
Judge Toh also noted the impact of the incident on the victim, who was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and panic disorder.
According to psychiatric reports, the victim had low mood and suicidal thoughts, and had described a “scar in her heart”. She also felt that others looked at her differently, even though no one knew about the sexual assault.
While Tan cannot be penalised for claiming trial, the victim had been put through the ordeal of testifying in court, Judge Toh said.
For procuring an indecent act on a young person, Tan could have been jailed up to five years, or fined up to S$10,000 (US$7,800), or both.
For sexual penetration of a minor under 16, he could have been jailed up to 10 years, fined, or both.
This story was first published by CNA


One-armed Malaysian man works hard as food delivery rider to save for wedding, inspires many

Workers’ Party in Singapore rules on Pritam Singh, disciplinary panel to be formed

Ageing Asia needs domestic helpers, but can it keep them safe?

Singapore’s animal shelters struggle with costs, falling adoption

Singapore

Singapore home temple founder jailed for sexually assaulting girl during wushu lessons

A man was jailed for sexually assaulting a teenage girl under the guise of wushu lessons at a home temple in Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock


Singapore PM excited about Jessica Sanchez’s Philippines show, Marcos’ wife says

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr meeting with Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez in Manila on Tuesday. Photo: Instagram / bongbongmarcos

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his wife Liza meeting with Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez in Manila on Tuesday. Photo: Instagram / bongbongmarcos

 Jessica Sanchez won this year’s “America’s Got Talent” reality show. Photo: X /JessicaESanchez

Mile-high crime club: theft syndicates target Asia’s airlines

A man was jailed for 20 months for stealing luggage on a Singapore Airlines flight from Dubai to the city state. Photo: AFP

In Malaysia and Hong Kong, in-flight thefts soared 70 per cent in 2024, according to data by airport police in those destinations. Photo: Getty Images

Passengers walk in the departure transit hall at Changi Airport in Singapore. Four Chinese nationals have been charged with theft on flights landing at Changi Airport this year. Photo: AFP

An arrival lobby for international flights at Narita airport in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo. The airport dealt with 19 cases of in-flight theft from January to October 2024. Photo: Kyodo

A Cathay Pacific aircraft taking off at Hong Kong International Airport. Cathay is among the airlines that have surveillance cameras installed in cabins. Photo: Sam Tsang

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

The prosecution said Tan Beng Kwee also issued threats of ‘supernatural punishment to silence’ the victim


The prosecution said Tan Beng Kwee also issued threats of ‘supernatural punishment to silence’ the victim.


Sexual harassment and assault

Crime

Singapore home temple founder jailed for sexually assaulting girl during wushu lessons

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The prosecution said Tan Beng Kwee also issued threats of ‘supernatural punishment to silence’ the victim

The prosecution said Tan Beng Kwee also issued threats of ‘supernatural punishment to silence’ the victim