SINGAPORE: A chef brazenly sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl in a restaurant for about half an hour while other staff and customers were present.
Kassim Juhamat, 63, was sentenced to 8½ years’ jail on Wednesday (Aug 26), after pleading guilty to a charge of sexual assault by penetration.
Three other charges for sexual offences against the victim in the same incident in June 2025 were considered during sentencing – two for molesting her and one for committing an obscene act with her.
The jail term included six months’ jail in lieu of caning. Kassim cannot be caned as he is above 50 years old.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mavis Ng told the High Court that the victim occasionally visited an individual at the restaurant and became acquainted with the offender, whom she called “Uncle Kassim”.
The relationship between the girl and the individual cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect the victim’s identity.
At about 4.15pm on June 27, 2025, the victim went to the restaurant and sat beside Kassim, who was resting at a corner table. Other staff members and customers were also in the establishment.
Shortly after her arrival, the girl asked Kassim to scratch her lower back as it was itchy.
But after he scratched her back, he moved his hand under her shirt, asking if he could touch her chest.
The victim kept saying “no” and leaned away from him to prevent the man from touching her chest.
However, he managed to use his other hand to touch her.
When she wanted to leave the table, Kassim held her hand tightly and kissed her on the mouth.
While still seated at the table, he moved his hand inside her clothes and sexually violated her. He also grabbed her hand and made her do an obscene act.
The prosecutor said: “The victim felt disgusted and tried to move her hand away, but the accused held onto her hand tightly.”
The girl said “no” when Kassim asked if she wanted to touch him. He let go of her hand only at about 5pm.
Before leaving the table, he told her not to tell anyone about what happened.
She intended to tell her mother about Kassim’s actions, but fell asleep before she could do so.
When the girl visited the restaurant the next day, the individual asked her why she was acting differently towards Kassim, and she disclosed what the man did to her.
The individual then confronted Kassim. He initially denied the victim’s allegations, but confessed after the individual said she would report the matter to the police and check the CCTV footage from the restaurant.
One of the restaurant’s managers learnt of what happened and lodged a police report on the victim’s behalf.
Kassim was arrested on June 29, 2025, and has been remanded in custody since. - The Straits Times/ANN
