What Singapore’s courts teach us: sentencing a chef for assaulting an 11‑year‑old

Kassim Juhamat, a chef, pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual assault by penetration. According to The Straits Times, the court sentenced him on August 26 to eight and a half years in prison.

The assault happened on June 27, 2025, inside the restaurant where the 11‑year‑old girl, who called him “Uncle Kassim,” was sitting with him. AsiaOne reported that she arrived at the restaurant at around 4:15 p.m. After she asked him to scratch an itch, Kassim touched her inappropriately, restrained her when she tried to leave, kissed her, sexually assaulted her, and forced her to take part in an obscene act before releasing her around 5 p.m., warning her not to tell anyone.

The girl’s companion noticed a change in her behavior the next day and confronted Kassim. A restaurant manager later filed a police report on the girl’s behalf, and Kassim was arrested two days after the assault, remaining in custody since.

In addition to the main charge, the court considered two counts of molestation and one count of committing an obscene act when deciding the sentence.

Because Kassim is over 50, Singapore law does not allow him to be caned. Instead, the judge added six months of imprisonment in lieu of caning, bringing the total time to eight and a half years.

The case shows that Singapore’s courts can impose long prison terms for child sexual assault, substitute caning with extra jail time for older offenders, and increase the penalty when several related charges are proven.

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