SINGAPORE - On the pretext of helping his female colleague to carry decorative items from a storeroom of a hospital, a purchasing assistant grabbed her torso and kissed her on the neck.
Sri Lankan Mohammed Salaudeen Faizel, 36, was sentenced to three months' jail on Wednesday (June 14), after admitting to molesting the 23-year-old inside the storeroom of Westpoint Hospital at Corporation Drive, on Nov 27, 2015.
A court heard that the victim, who has left the hospital, was instructed by her supervisor to put up some Christmas decorations in the old ICU room.
She then sent a text message to Salaudeen to seek his help.
While she was putting up the decorations in the room, Salaudeen stood close to her, making her uncomfortable. He then placed his hand on her waist from behind.
She immediately moved away before chiding him for touching her.
The victim also told him not to do anything inappropriate and Salaudeen promptly apologised. The pair then resumed with the decoration.
Later, she headed to the storeroom to collect more decorative items. Salaudeen acted like he wanted to help and followed her into the storeroom.
But he grabbed her from behind and held onto her torso tightly with his hands.
She struggled to break free but was overpowered by Salaudeen, who told her to keep quiet. He then kissed her on her bare neck.
The victim continued to put up a struggle while pleading with Salaudeen to stop. He refused and instead turned her around to face him. She pushed him away before fleeing the storeroom.
She returned to the old ICU room to collect her belongings before heading to her locker to change out of her uniform as she was traumatised and wanted to leave her workplace.
While at the locker, she called a colleague, a 38-year-old nurse, and told her what had happened. Later that evening, the colleague accompanied her to meet a senior nurse clinician. The victim recounted the incident to her. She made a police report the next day.
Salaudeen, who is married with a child in Sri Lanka, told the court that he came to Singapore to work 17 years ago, and said this had been a "costly lesson" for him.
His sentence was backdated to May 26. He could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned or received any combined punishment.
