Cambodian youth gets 3 mths

Judge Tan said a short spell in jail would teach Chhuon (left) not to break the law again. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN

The Straits Times
http://www.straitstimes.com

By Khushwant Singh
June 18, 2009

CAMBODIAN CHHUON Ratana was sent here by his father to study management in 2006 but he ended up outraging the modesty of two women last May.

The 20-year-old was jailed for three months on Thursday.

District Judge Jill Tan said that granting a conditional discharge to the 20-year-old would not be appropriate as Chhuon had been belligerent and had committed the second and more serious offence in spite of being confronted by his first victim.

Noting that each woman had received $8,000 in compensation, Judge Tan said a short spell in jail would teach Chhuon not to break the law again.

His lawyer Chia Boon Teck had told the court that whatever punishment Chhuon received here, his elders in Cambodia would mete out punishment according to traditional Cambodian practices, which in this case, would include Ratana having to become a monk for six months to a year.

As such, it would be inexpedient to jail Chhuon, he said.

But Judge Tan felt that a Singapore court should punish Chhuon for his loutish behaviour.

He had pleaded guilty last month to squeezing the breasts of two women at the Arena club in Clarke Quay at 3.30am on May 11 last year.

On his way to the toilet, he approached his first victim and asked for her name while holding her shoulders. When she struggled, he grabbed her breasts. The victim sought help from her friends at the club who confronted Ratana.

He initially denied it before saying: 'I did it. So what?'. He then slipped his hand under the brassiere of a second woman and squeezed her breast.

The club bouncers soon appeared but Ratana was not cowed, telling them: 'So what? I am a foreigner.'

Mr Chia said Chhuon's father was counting heavily on Ratana to take over the family's business and the father had lost much face following his panic-stricken appeal to the Cambodian authorities for help.