A 32-year-old woman who was allegedly assaulted and raped by two men was discovered lying in her blood at the scene five hours later.
The police received a call for assistance on March 8 at about 7:25 am regarding an injured but conscious woman along Pioneer Road.
When police officers arrived at the scene, the woman was observed to have suffered multiple injuries on her head and body, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a news release on March 10.
Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported on March 11 that a passerby named Saddam saw the woman lying on the ground below the Tuas viaduct near Tuas West Road MRT.
He said that the victim’s head, legs, and the ground surrounding her, were covered in blood.
It was reported that the alleged rape happened between 12:30 am to 2:20 am on March 8, meaning five hours had passed before the authorities were alerted.
When Saddam asked the victim what had happened, she replied she didn’t know, although she asked for some water to drink.
The woman appeared to be in a trance-like state, said Saddam to Shin Min.
She struggled to get up and eventually gave up trying after a few attempts. Another passerby came and assisted her into a sitting position.
The woman was conveyed to the hospital while conscious, her medical examination suggesting she was sexually assaulted.
Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, Police Intelligence Department, Public Transport Security Command and Jurong Police Division immediately commenced investigations into a suspected case of rape.
With the aid of closed-circuit television footage and police cameras, as well as ground enquiries, two men from Bangladesh, Ahmed Rayhan, 30, and Alam Foysal, 36, were identified and arrested on the same day within 12 hours of the report being made.
Preliminary investigations revealed that both men are not known to the woman. They had allegedly brought her to Pioneer Road and assaulted her.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Both men were charged in court on March 10 with an offence of rape under Section 375(1)(a) punishable under Section 375(2) of the Penal Code 1871.
The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to 20 years and a fine or caning.
According to a Straits Times report, their cases were adjourned to March 17. /TISG