Man accused of molestation in operating theatre given discharge amounting to an acquittal

SINGAPORE - A man accused of molesting a woman inside an operating theatre has had the matter compounded and was given a discharge amounting to an acquittal on Nov 3.

This means Mr Mijos Policarpo Aranaydo, 43, a Filipino, cannot be charged again with the same offence.

Under the law, only certain offences can be compounded, such as simple cases of causing hurt and outrage of modesty.

Compounding an offence requires an agreement with the victim to have the matter compensated, usually with a payment or an apology.

The public prosecutor will consider the public interest, circumstances of the offence and whether there are any aggravating factors before agreeing to the terms.

The Singapore permanent resident had been accused of outraging a woman’s modesty at a medical centre in Paragon shopping mall in Orchard Road some time between 9.45am and 10.20am on March 22, 2022.

Court documents did not disclose why he was in the centre.

In a statement to The Straits Times on Thursday, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said Mr Aranaydo had earlier sought to compound the offence in lieu of prosecution.

Without revealing details about the terms of the composition, an AGC spokesperson said: “The victim accepted the... offer by the accused person.

“Having reviewed the facts and circumstances of the case as well as the victim’s agreement, the prosecution decided to accede to the request to have the matter compounded.”

For molestation, an offender can be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned or receive any combination of such punishments.