Conditional Warning Received By Man Involved In Orchard Towers Murder Met With Dismay And Anger
The recent sentencing of the people associated with the Orchard Towers murder last year created a furore online.
First was Natalie Siow, with the reduced sentencing of 5 months and now Chan Jia Xin being slapped with a conditional warning for consorting with a person possessing an offensive weapon.
In simple terms, Chan cannot commit any offence for the period of a year, and if he does, he will be prosecuted for the same offence on top of any new charges against him.
Netizens questioned the justice system as well as the value of a human life lost.
We wonder too. Would this be a case study for future upholders of the law and law practitioners?
Someone took the liberty of explaining what his charge meant and Chan basically got away scot free.
Is there a different justice system in Singapore for those who can afford it or did these people escape through sheer luck?
Attorney’s General Chambers Singapore (AGC) released a statement saying that they take the allegations of racial bias in sentencing very seriously as it is “categorically false and baseless”.
ACG also mentioned that the six who had their charges reduced went through thorough investigations. The findings of the investigations showed that they were not involved in the death of the deceased.
The sentences were in line with the sentencing guidelines issued by the High Court in a previous case, as well in guidance published by the court in Sentencing Practice in the Subordinate Courts.
In Chan’s case, the facts of the case as well as his initiative to stop the attack and his cooperation with police investigations were considered before the directive to give him the 12-month conditional warning.
“Allegations of preferential treatment for different races are baseless and have the potential to disrupt racial harmony in Singapore, causing irreversible divisions in our communities. AGC has directed the Police to investigate the individuals responsible for a number of social media posts that are potentially in contempt of court. AGC will not hesitate to take action against those who fall foul of the law.”
2020 is an interesting year for the two hot cases that became the debate topic of netizens. Are we seeing experimental approaches or is it sheer luck?
Reporter’s Opinions: This particular case gets on my nerves as I read more reports.
I still think they got lucky.
There are other similar cases out there and the perpetrators were not slapped with a mere warning. They still served time for a year, at least.
Let’s hope that this won’t set a precedent for the rest to come.
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