PUBLIC PROSECUTOR v CJK

Case Significance

Public Prosecutor v CJK [2024] SGHC 175 was a criminal trial in the General Division of the High Court before Audrey Lim J, who delivered the grounds of decision on 9 July 2024 in Criminal Case No 19 of 2024, following hearings across 2-5, 23 and 25-26 April and 14 and 26 June 2024. The accused (referred to as "D") faced three charges of sexual offences relating to the complainant ("V"). The judgment records that V's mother ("K") was at the material time in a romantic relationship with the accused, and that V and K resided at a flat where the alleged offences occurred in 2014.

As set out in the judgment, the first charge alleged rape of V, a female then under 14 years old, in the living room of the flat in 2014, contrary to s 375(1)(b) and punishable under s 375(3)(b) of the Penal Code (Cap 224, 2008 Rev Ed). The second and third charges alleged the use of criminal force to outrage V's modesty, punishable under s 354(2) of the Penal Code, on two separate occasions in 2014. The catchwords identify the issues as Criminal Law — Offences — Rape and Criminal Law — Offences — Sexual offences. The prosecution was conducted by counsel from the Attorney-General's Chambers, including Ms Christina Koh, Mr Niranjan Ranjakunalan and Mr Yee Jia Rong, while the defence was conducted by counsel from Oon & Bazul LLP, including Mr Tanjeetpal Singh Khaira and Mr Eoon Zizhen Benedict (Wen Zhizhen).