MP Raeesah Khan who lied about accompanying rape victim to police station, apologises for allegations

[ASEAN NOW News]

The Workers' Party Member of Parliament withdrew allegations that police mishandled a sexual assault case and apologised to a rape victim for using her anecdote without consent.

 

She has been referred to the Committee of Privileges.

 

Raeesah Khan (FILE PHOTO)

 

Raeesah Khan (WP-Sengkang) on Monday (Nov 1) admitted to lying in Parliament about details of a rape case that she alleged was mishandled by the police, saying she did not accompany a victim to the police station as she had claimed.

 

According to CNA, she apologised to the Singapore Police Force and retracted an anecdote she had shared of a rape victim, saying her previous statement on the matter was "untrue".

 

Ms Khan has been referred to the Committee of Privileges for breach of parliamentary privilege, said Leader of the House Indranee Rajah, noting that Ms Khan had lied in Parliament on three occasions and failed to substantiate the allegations.

 

Ms Khan first mentioned the case on Aug 3 during the Workers' Party's motion on empowering women.

 

She said she had accompanied a 25-year-old woman to make a police report three years ago, and that the victim had come out crying because a police officer allegedly made comments about her dressing and the fact that she had been drinking.

 

This prompted Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam to ask Ms Khan in Parliament on Oct 4 for more details, saying that such allegations would be investigated and taken seriously. Ms Khan declined to give more information, citing the need for confidentiality.

 

When Mr Shanmugam asked Ms Khan to confirm that she had accompanied the victim to the police station, she affirmed it. The minister said the police would continue to investigate the allegations and invite Ms Khan for an interview.

 

The police said on Oct 20 that Ms Khan had not responded to requests asking her to provide details on the sexual assault case.

 

In Parliament on Monday, Ms Khan admitted that she was "not present with the survivor in the police station as I described".

 

"The anecdote was shared by the survivor in a women's support group for women which I was a part of. I did not share that I was a part of the group as I did not have the courage to publicly admit that I was a part of it," she said.

 

Ms Khan revealed that she was sexually assaulted when she was an 18-year-old studying abroad, and that it has traumatised her until today.

 

She apologised to the sexual assault victim in the case she brought up, saying she should not have shared it without her consent.

 

"To survivors of sexual violence, I hope that this does not deter you from reporting your assaults," she said.

 

Ms Khan acknowledged that she had disregarded the principles around consent and discussions concerning survivors of sexual assault.

 

"As a survivor myself, I feel this failure deeply. It is important for me to take responsibility for my actions, for my error of judgment and to set the record straight," she said.

 

Her voice broke as she apologised.

 

"I wish to correct the record by retracting the anecdote that I shared on Aug 3, and I wish to apologise to the Singapore Police Force," Ms Khan said.

 

"Lastly, I want to apologise to the survivor whose quote I used, to the House, to my constituents, to the Workers' Party, its members and volunteers.

 

"And to my family, especially to my parents. To the residents of Sengkang, I'll work even harder for you."