More than 8 years’ jail for man who tried to rape neighbour who fell asleep by pool

SINGAPORE – A South Korean engineer saw his inebriated neighbour sleeping by the pool of their serviced apartment compound and tried to rape her.

The 25-year-old woman, an exchange student from Sweden, was shocked when she woke up to find the man on top of her. She repeatedly told him to stop and managed to get away after a scuffle.

On May 13, Cho Tae Kwon, now 51, was sentenced to a jail term of eight years and 4½ months, after he pleaded guilty to one charge each of attempted rape and outrage of modesty.

Two other charges, for molesting the victim, were taken into consideration.

Cho’s sentence included jail time in lieu of caning. He cannot be caned as he is above the age of 50.

He was 49 years old when he entered Singapore on June 20, 2022, on a short-term social visit pass.

He was working as an engineer at Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre and staying in a unit on the ninth floor with four other colleagues

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/over-8-years-jail-for-man-who-tried-to-rape-neighbour-who-fell-asleep-by-the-pool