Public Prosecutor v Wang Jian Bin: Rape of a Minor & Criminal Intimidation
In Public Prosecutor v Wang Jian Bin, the High Court of Singapore sentenced Wang Jian Bin to 13 years' imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl. The court, presided over by Justice Chan Seng Onn, also considered charges of criminal intimidation and penetration of the victim's vagina with his finger. The case involved a claim of rape and criminal intimidation.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
High Court1.2 Outcome
Accused sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane.
1.3 Case Type
Criminal
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Wang Jian Bin was convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl and criminal intimidation, sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane.
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 | Chua Ying-Hong of Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Wang Jian Bin | Defendant, Appellant | Individual | Appeal against sentence filed | Lost |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Chan Seng Onn | Judge | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Chua Ying-Hong | Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Lim Bee Li | RHT Law LLP |
| Irving Choh | RHT Law LLP |
4. Facts
- The accused, Wang Jian Bin, pleaded guilty to raping a girl under 14 years of age.
- The victim was 13 years old at the time of the offence.
- The accused contacted the victim via MSN messenger after finding her email in Teenage magazine.
- The accused sent sexually explicit text messages to the victim, asking to meet her.
- The accused threatened the victim and her friend when she refused to meet him.
- The accused went to the victim's house and repeated his threats.
- The accused pushed the victim onto her bed, touched her breasts, and inserted his fingers into her vagina.
- The accused raped the victim in her bedroom.
5. Formal Citations
- Public Prosecutor v Wang Jian Bin, Criminal Case No 21 of 2011, [2011] SGHC 212
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Accused came to Singapore from China with his family. | |
| Accused became a Singapore citizen. | |
| Accused contacted the victim via MSN messenger. | |
| Accused texted the victim to ask for her address and to meet her at her home. | |
| Decision Date |
7. Legal Issues
- Rape
- Outcome: The accused was convicted of rape.
- Category: Substantive
- Related Cases:
- [2006] 4 SLR(R) 849
- R v Keith Billam (1986) 8 Cr App R (S) 48
- Sentencing
- Outcome: The accused was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment and 15 strokes of the cane.
- Category: Procedural
- Related Cases:
- [2006] 4 SLR(R) 849
- [2008] 4 SLR(R) 500
- [1992] 1 SLR(R) 63
- Criminal Intimidation
- Outcome: The charge was taken into consideration for sentencing.
- Category: Substantive
8. Remedies Sought
- Imprisonment
- Caning
9. Cause of Actions
- Rape
- Criminal Intimidation
10. Practice Areas
- Criminal Law
- Sexual Assault
11. Industries
- Media
- Technology
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PP v NF | High Court | Yes | [2006] 4 SLR(R) 849 | Singapore | Cited for the four broad categories of rape elucidated in R v Keith Billam for sentencing purposes. |
| Keith Billam | N/A | Yes | R v Keith Billam (1986) 8 Cr App R (S) 48 | N/A | Cited for the four broad categories of rape for sentencing purposes. |
| PP v UI | Court of Appeal | Yes | [2008] 4 SLR(R) 500 | Singapore | Cited for endorsing the principles and sentencing benchmarks set out in PP v NF. |
| Chia Kim Heng Frederick v PP | N/A | Yes | [1992] 1 SLR(R) 63 | Singapore | Cited for the starting point for sentencing in Category 1 rape cases. |
| Xia Qin Lai v PP | N/A | Yes | [1999] 3 SLR(R) 257 | Singapore | Cited for the principle that a plea of guilt does not ipso facto entitle an offender to a discount in his sentence. |
| PP v Robiul Bhoreshuddin Mondal | High Court | Yes | [2010] SGHC 10 | Singapore | Cited for placing weight on the fact that the victim had been raped in the sanctity of her locked room. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Penal Code (Cap 224, 2008 Rev Ed) s 375(1)(b) | Singapore |
| Penal Code s 375(2) | Singapore |
| Penal Code s 506 (first limb) | Singapore |
| Penal Code s 376A(1)(b) | Singapore |
| Penal Code s 376A(3) | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Rape
- Criminal Intimidation
- Victim
- Accused
- MSN Messenger
- Text Messages
- Threats
- Penal Code
- Sentencing
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
15.2 Keywords
- Rape
- Criminal Intimidation
- Minor
- Singapore
- High Court
- Sentencing
- Penal Code
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Criminal Law | 95 |
| Sexual Offences | 90 |
| Sentencing | 80 |
| Domestic Violence | 30 |
16. Subjects
- Criminal Law
- Rape
- Sentencing