PP v Teng Boon Leng: Abduction and Attempted Rape at Bugis Junction
In Public Prosecutor v Teng Boon Leng, the High Court of Singapore convicted Teng Boon Leng of abducting a 12-year-old girl and attempting to rape her at Parco Bugis Junction on 14 March 2002. Teng deceived the girl into believing he was a security officer investigating shoplifting. The court found Teng guilty of abduction under Section 366 of the Penal Code and attempted rape under Section 376(1) read with Section 511. He was sentenced to 16 years of preventive detention and caning.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Accused convicted of abduction and attempted rape; sentenced to 16 years preventive detention and caning.
1.3 Case Type
Criminal
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Teng Boon Leng was convicted of abducting a 12-year-old girl and attempting to rape her. The case involved deceit and a prior similar offense.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Prosecutor | Prosecution | Government Agency | Judgment for Prosecution | Won | Lim Yew Jin of Public Prosecutor Imran Hamid of Public Prosecutor |
| Teng Boon Leng | Defendant | Individual | Convicted of Abduction | Lost |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Kan Ting Chiu | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Lim Yew Jin | Public Prosecutor |
| Imran Hamid | Public Prosecutor |
| Tan Joo Khoon | Tan Joo Khoon & Co |
4. Facts
- The accused deceived M into believing he was a security officer.
- The accused lured M to a fan room under false pretenses.
- M was twelve and a half years old at the time of the incident.
- The accused admitted to wanting to give M the impression that he was a security officer.
- The accused had a prior conviction for similar offences.
5. Formal Citations
- Public Prosecutor v Teng Boon Leng, CC 57/2002, [2003] SGHC 25
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Accused abducted M and attempted to rape her at Parco Bugis Junction. | |
| M made her first police statement. | |
| M made two more police statements. | |
| Accused called M and asked her to meet him again. | |
| Accused was arrested at Takashimaya Shopping Centre. | |
| Accused gave a cautioned statement for outrage of modesty. | |
| Accused gave a cautioned statement for attempted rape. | |
| M made her last police statement. | |
| M was examined at Singapore General Hospital. | |
| Accused gave a cautioned statement for abduction. | |
| Judgment delivered. |
7. Legal Issues
- Abduction
- Outcome: The court found that the accused had abducted M by deceitful means.
- Category: Substantive
- Attempted Rape
- Outcome: The court found the accused guilty of attempted simple rape under s 376(1) read with s 511.
- Category: Substantive
- Voluntarily Causing Hurt
- Outcome: The court found that the hurt element was not made out, and reduced the charge to attempted simple rape.
- Category: Substantive
- Related Cases:
- (1960) 26 MLJ 306
8. Remedies Sought
- Conviction
- Sentencing
9. Cause of Actions
- Abduction
- Attempted Rape
10. Practice Areas
- Criminal Litigation
11. Industries
- Retail
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yohannan v R | Unknown | Yes | [1963] MLJ 57 | Unknown | Cited regarding the furnishing of statements to the defence to impeach credit under s 122(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code. |
| Rosli bin Othman v PP | Unknown | Yes | [2001] 3 SLR 587 | Singapore | Cited regarding the furnishing of statements to the defence to impeach credit under s 122(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code. |
| Liew Kaling v PP | Unknown | Yes | (1960) 26 MLJ 306 | Malaysia | Cited for the test to determine the validity of an inference. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Penal Code, Chapter 224, section 366 | Singapore |
| Penal Code, Chapter 224, section 376(2)(a) read with section 511 | Singapore |
| Penal Code, s 362 | Singapore |
| Penal Code, s 376(1) read with s 511 | Singapore |
| Penal Code, Section 319 | Singapore |
| Criminal Procedure Code, s 12(2) | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Abduction
- Attempted Rape
- Deceit
- Security Officer
- Fan Room
- Preventive Detention
15.2 Keywords
- Abduction
- Attempted Rape
- Singapore
- Criminal Law
- Parco Bugis Junction
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Criminal Law | 95 |
| Abduction | 90 |
| Sexual Offences | 90 |
| Criminal Procedure | 60 |
| Evidence | 50 |
16. Subjects
- Criminal Law
- Sexual Offences
- Abduction