All three victims were members of the classes when the defendants abused them. (Representation)
Singapore:
A former Indian yoga instructor was sentenced Friday to 23 months in prison and four strokes of the cane for sexually harassing three women while teaching them classes.
Rajpal Singh, 35, who worked at Trust Yoga on Telok Ayer Street at the time of the offences, no longer teaches there.
All three victims were members of the classes when he abused them.
Before passing sentence, District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz said Singh had abused the trust placed in him by the three women, whom he referred to as Ms C, Ms V and Ms R, according to a report in The Straits Times newspaper.
The judge also said the trio had suffered emotional and psychological damage.
The judge said Ms C has been receiving therapy from a counsellor, adding: “She testified that she had regarded yoga classes as 'a safe space' and did not expect to have been raped during a yoga class by a teacher who was in a position of authority in the room.” The judge added that Ms V had testified that she remains “very shaken” by her ordeal and described it as a “very traumatic experience”.
On May 16, after a 13-day trial, the judge convicted Singh on five counts of sexual assault involving the three women. The judge found the three to be “unusually compelling” witnesses.
Singh was acquitted of three further charges of sexual assault involving a fourth woman, Ms Y.
Singh had denied sexually harassing the women.
Defence lawyer Anil Murkoth Changaroth said his client would appeal the verdict and sentence. His bail was set at 50,000 Singapore dollars (38,374.02 US dollars).
Singh still has two pending charges of sexual abuse and his pre-trial conference on them will be held on September 16, according to the Singapore Daily Report.
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